Max Verstappen has one last message for Christian Horner before Abu Dhabi F1 title decider

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Red Bull could win their first Formula 1 championship without Christian Horner this weekend. Max Verstappen enters the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 12 points behind Lando Norris in the drivers’ title fight.

This would be a remarkable achievement for Laurent Mekies, less than five months after he replaced Horner. Mekies has refused to take any credit for the team’s turnaround, but his colleagues feel he deserves it.

When Horner was sacked after the British GP, Verstappen was 69 points off the lead, and Red Bull were fourth in the constructors’. The reigning champion was effectively ruling him out of contention.

But now there’s genuine belief at Red Bull that Verstappen can win his fifth title at Yas Marina, and the team will almost certainly finish above Ferrari for a top-three berth in the constructors’.

Max Verstappen to Christian Horner: We appreciate what you have done

In an interview with BBC Sport on the eve of the race, Verstappen was asked to reflect on Horner’s departure midway through the year. And in a marker of the strength of their relationship, he immediately paid tribute to his former boss.

Horner helped the team win eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ trophies, including Verstappen’s maiden crown at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

While he’s undefeated since, Verstappen started to become concerned about Red Bull’s trajectory last year as progress from rivals forced him into defensive mode. Ultimately, shareholders felt the team weren’t properly ‘functioning’, and made a ‘big change’.

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“The first thing that I want to say is that I always had a great relationship with Christian,” Verstappen told Andrew Benson. “And still to this day, a lot of people, we appreciate what he has done for the team.

“When I joined, Christian was already there for a much longer time. The win that we had here in 2021, the emotions, and that night as well, that’s stuff people will never take away from us.

“The team was in a tough time already in ’24 a bit. And it didn’t really seem to improve. And at one point, the shareholders wanted a different direction.

“When you look back at it, of course, it’s a big shock. But at the same time, when you look at other sports, when sometimes a team has been functioning for a very long time, very well, and then at one point it’s not, and there’s not really also a clear direction out of it, sometimes management makes a big change.”

Max Verstappen says Laurent Mekies asks more ‘technical’ questions than Christian Horner

The report suggest Red Bull shareholders called Verstappen to discuss the Horner decision. Other drivers in the set-up were simply informed by staff, so the Dutchman possesses unique insight.

Turning to Mekies, Verstappen said the sport is changing. All but one team (Mercedes) employ a team principal/managing director from an engineering background.

“Very different personality,” Verstappen said. “I get along very well with Laurent as well. He’s a bit more technically involved in the team.

“And you can see that probably in other teams as well that that has been a bit the trend. People are changing into a bit more of a technical role as a team boss.”

“Maybe more questions were asked on the technical side of things.”

On the flip side, Verstappen said F1 is ‘too friendly’ without Horner, who formed some tense but entertaining rivalries. The Englishman is free to return to the paddock from the spring of next year.