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The sacking of Christian Horner from his post as Red Bull’s long-standing team principal served as quite a surprise, sparking Max Verstappen to step up in vital areas of the Austrian constructor’s set-up in Milton Keynes.
Horner was relieved of his duties following the conclusion of the British Grand Prix in July, terminating a two-decade-long stint as the head of Red Bull Racing.
The British motorsport executive led the team to a swathe of championship routs, and due to the vast amount of power that Horner held, his exit caused gaps to appear in the team’s leadership.
Horner created a chaotic hiring problem at Red Bull during the latter stages of his tenure. The Milton Keynes-based outfit has sought to rectify the issue with Laurent Mekies in charge, but it hasn’t stopped Verstappen from stepping up and utilising his qualities as an F1 world champion.
Max Verstappen has become a more ‘prominent’ leader at Red Bull since Christian Horner’s exit
Now in his 11th season of Formula 1, Verstappen is one of the most seasoned drivers on the grid at just 27 years old.
The four-time world champion knows exactly what it takes to be in a team at the top of the pecking order, and according to journalist Tom Clarkson, he is utilising it to try and bring Red Bull back up to the top of the F1 standings.
Speaking to former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer on a recent episode of the F1 Nation podcast, Clarkson noted, “I do sense that he’s stepped up a little bit internally.
“It may be an unconscious thing, but I think he’s really trying to welcome Laurent Mekies with open arms, and I noticed he was at Milton Keynes on his way to the Nurburgring last week, lots of selfies with the team.
“I feel that he’s got a more prominent role, leadership role, within the team post-Horner, perhaps than he had before.”
The role that Clarkson alluded to has seemingly squashed the rumours of the Dutchman wanting out of the team for greener pastures. Verstappen is ‘on board’ with Mekies’ way of working, possibly due to the fact that the Frenchman comes from an engineering background.
READ MORE: Red Bull told Max Verstappen’s Monza win proves ‘fundamental’ change since sacking Christian Horner
Jolyon Palmer believes Max Verstappen is putting in ‘extra effort’ at Red Bull to deliver a competitive car for 2026
Continuing on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer drew a comparison to Verstappen’s current position at Red Bull and how previous world champions have also naturally adapted into a leadership role at their respective teams.
“Obviously, he’s been at the team now for a long time. Laurent stepped over to Red Bull and Max, as the champion driver, if you look at some of the great champions of the past, they do have an important role to play.
“Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, and Toto Wolff was there the whole time. Sebastian Vettel, when he was at Red Bull and then even at Ferrari, he wasn’t a champion with them, but you could feel that he had that champion quality of knowing where the team should go and that imposing nature.
“And now Max has seen the end of Christian Horner’s tenure, in comes Laurent Mekies. And Laurent’s a more technical-minded boss as well. So, you know, he probably feels like this is his time to put extra effort into making sure that the next year is good.”
The biggest talking point about F1’s 2026 regulations is the new power units that engine manufacturers are currently developing.
Red Bull Powertrains are developing its engine completely in-house for the very first time, which has led to some scepticism over its performance.
A reliable source believes Red Bull’s 2026 engine will be two tenths off the pace. Verstappen won’t have a part to play in the power unit’s development, but he can definitely aid the team in optimising the dynamic between the engine and its aerodynamic package.
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