F1 paddock insider shares how Max Verstappen reacted at the Belgian Grand Prix to Christian Horner’s Red Bull exit

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Max Verstappen’s first weekend without Christian Horner as Red Bull boss was a mixed bag and ended with him failing to reach the podium.

Formula 1 commentator Alex Jacques has been speaking to F1 Oversteer exclusively about the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

A large rain delay before the start of the Spa race meant that a wet-weather setup gamble by Red Bull didn’t have a chance to pay off, as the sun baked the tarmac and removed much of the moisture by half-distance.

Verstappen was left to stare at the back of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari for the majority of the race, but couldn’t find a way past and into third place, despite winning Saturday’s sprint and having strong pace.

The result does mean that the Dutchman will remain at Red Bull for 2026, as he cannot fall low enough in the drivers’ championship to activate a summer break exit clause.

Helmut Marko detailed Verstappen engine ‘issues’ at Spa, which weren’t broadcast to fans around the world. It seemed to hamper their running.

Fortunately for his team, despite ex-boss Christian Horner being sacked, Verstappen joining Mercedes is ‘out of the question’ and they can begin to shift their entire focus to the 2026 F1 regulations.

READ MORE: Laurent Mekies sends unheard radio message to Max Verstappen after ‘tough’ Belgian Grand Prix for Red Bull

Alex Jacques shares how Max Verstappen reacted to Christian Horner’s Red Bull sacking at the Belgian Grand Prix

F1 fans are divided about Laurent Mekies’ instant impact after he won his first race in charge of Red Bull. His engineering background should serve as a handy advantage for his team.

However, could Horner’s departure from the team have unsettled Verstappen? They had worked together for nearly 10 years after all.

Alex Jacques was asked if Verstappen was any different in the paddock at Spa after Horner’s sacking and said: “In all honesty, no. Out of the car, Max is unbelievably consistent.

“He is a very, very happy person in the paddock. There’s a contentment there, which you would expect from a four-time world champion. But Max is a very chilled customer out of the car in his interactions in all aspects.

“Whether it be sit-down interviews on a Wednesday, whether it be a press conference, he is relaxed,” Jacques continued. “If he gets the same question over and over again, obviously, if anyone gets the same question over and over again, there can be a degree of frustration there.

“But it’s almost, it sounds preposterous, doesn’t it, when a team principal of 20 years, the only team principal in Red Bull history, disappears, and it doesn’t change anything.

“I think the nicest thing about Max’s entire weekend is that he had to drive 15 qualifying laps to beat the McLarens, and sometimes the Sprints can be dismissed and not focused on,” he assessed.

“You’ve got a four-time world champion driving 15 qualifying laps and beating the dominant car that has double the points of anyone else in the world championships, McLaren in the constructors’ championship.

“He’s punching the air across the line! That’s a real moment of satisfaction. But if you didn’t know that Christian Horner was no longer the team principal, nothing about Max Verstappen’s demeanour or performance would have told you that.”

READ MORE: Martin Brundle saw Max Verstappen do something ‘incredible’ to beat Oscar Piastri in the Belgian GP Sprint

Alex Jacques was ‘very impressed’ with Alex Albon’s Belgian Grand Prix performance

While Red Bull continue to struggle to find a solution for their second car, one of the drivers they axed from the position is thriving.

Alex Albon finished sixth at Spa, and Jacques believes that the 29-year-old was one of the unsung heroes of the race.

“I was very impressed with Alex Albon. All the drivers knew at the start of the weekend, if it was dry, it was going to be very, very difficult to overtake, given the current regulations set around Spa, as I talked about earlier,” he said.

“There were a great gaggle of a real mix of drivers who could have been in that top five.

“You’ve got a race winner from this year in George Russell. He couldn’t quite do it. Isack Hadjar at one point really looked like he had the pace, Gabriel Bortoleto, these young rookies are having great first seasons.

“Alex Albon got the job done, that fifth position in qualifying translates to sixth in the race, and Williams have gone through a bit of a wobble, having started the season so well, and established themselves in fifth.

“It is very, very impressive for him to keep Hamilton at bay for as long as he did. A satisfying performance, and one that turns the page on a really difficult period for Williams in recent times.”