Red Bull eyeing F1 team boss Zak Brown loves as Max Verstappen makes internal Christian Horner demand

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen has dramatically increased the pressure on Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, according to a report. The names of potential replacements are circulating in the F1 paddock.

Verstappen was taken out at the start of Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix by an out-of-control Kimi Antonelli. That completed a miserable weekend for the reigning world champion, who only qualified seventh after late yellow flags.

But the feeling was that Red Bull were ill-equipped to challenge a dominant McLaren team regardless. Despite battling for much of the first stint, they still finished the best part of 20 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc in third.

Verstappen’s title hopes have now crumbled in the eyes of many observers, with the Dutchman falling 61 points behind. Yuki Tsunoda’s woes in the sole remaining car – he finished two laps down in last place – have perhaps laid bare the dysfunction at Red Bull.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Verstappen has told the team he’ll only stay if Horner is replaced or has his powers ‘curtailed’. The 20-year team boss no longer has the full backing of the Thai majority shareholders.

Andreas Seidl ‘mentioned’ as potential Christian Horner replacement in F1 paddock

Red Bull could promote from within if they do decide to axe Horner, just as they tend to with drivers. Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer is a candidate, having led the team to sixth in the standings after 11 races.

Indeed, co-owner Mark Mateschitz saw Racing Bulls outclass Red Bull last weekend, with Liam Lawson the lead car in sixth place.

But former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl has also been ‘mentioned’ as a possible successor. Seidl recently had a brief stint as head of the Audi F1 project before a fallout.

Between 2019 and 2022, the German oversaw nine podium finishes at McLaren, including a one-two at the Italian GP. Horner’s arch-rival Zak Brown once called him ‘the best’ team principal out there, via Autosport.

He left on his own terms, and while the move to Audi didn’t work out, he has ‘good contacts’ at Red Bull that could help him during any interview process.

Max Verstappen knows that even Christian Horner departure wouldn’t fix one Red Bull problem

Red Bull’s scoreless weekend, combined with McLaren’s one-two, has left them 255 points adrift in the standings. In these circumstances, it’s inevitable that Horner is being questioned.

The AMuS story follows a weekend of heightened speculation about Verstappen. Losing an all-time great driver would be disastrous for Horner, far more so than Sebastian Vettel’s 2015 Ferrari move.

One report on Monday even claimed that Verstappen has ‘one foot’ in the Mercedes cockpit. Toto Wolff and George Russell have both confirmed that talks are taking place.

Verstappen is frustrated with Red Bull’s upgrades, which haven’t made a meaningful difference to their competitiveness. Even replacing Horner wouldn’t necessarily solve that problem.