The pressure is mounting at Red Bull Racing, and it isn’t just coming from McLaren’s recent success in Austria. Following Max Verstappen’s shocking retirement from the race at the Red Bull Ring, thanks to a clumsy manoeuvre by Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, attention has shifted from the racetrack to the team garage. According to emerging reports, the most explosive fallout yet could be looming behind the scenes.
The reigning champion’s entourage has reportedly issued a bold ultimatum: if Red Bull want to keep Verstappen, they may have to let Horner go — or at least rein him in.
McLaren Takes Control, Red Bull Left Reeling
The Austrian Grand Prix was supposed to be a homecoming celebration for Red Bull. Instead, it became a grim metaphor for the team’s 2025 season. Just three corners into the race, Verstappen’s RB21 was already limping back to the garage with terminal damage, the result of Antonelli misjudging the brake zone and turning Verstappen into a passenger.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a dominant one-two finish for McLaren, further exacerbating the internal fractures and waning competitiveness of a team already struggling.
As Verstappen watched the chequered flag from the pit wall, rumours began to circulate.
Russell Sparks Mercedes Whispers, Verstappen Stays Silent
Verstappen’s future at Red Bull has been the subject of frenzied speculation all season long. But in Spielberg, it reached a crescendo. George Russell added fuel to the fire by openly teasing Verstappen’s potential switch to Mercedes. Toto Wolff, ever the strategist, danced around the rumours without denying them, raising eyebrows and heart rates across the paddock.
Technically, Verstappen is under contract until 2028. However, escape clauses and a deteriorating internal dynamic have made the deal more fragile than it seems.
Yet, despite all the speculation, Verstappen himself remained uncharacteristically tight-lipped, neither confirming nor denying the rumours about Mercedes. However, that silence may have been masking negotiations far more dramatic than anyone realised.
Auto, Motor und Sport drops a bombshell
The German outlet Auto, Motor und Sport has now revealed that Verstappen’s team isn’t just considering other options — they’re setting boundaries.
According to the report, Verstappen would prefer to stay at Red Bull, but he will only do so if Red Bull undergoes a strategic realignment, starting with a reduction or removal of Christian Horner’s power.
In its current structure, Horner holds near-total control of Red Bull Racing operations. This centralisation of authority has long been a source of friction, particularly with key figures such as Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey. However, if the report is to be believed, Verstappen’s team no longer considers Horner’s leadership to be compatible with Max’s ambitions.
This is the clearest signal yet that the Verstappen camp sees Horner as the problem, not the solution.
The Yoovidhya Factor: Has support for Horner eroded?
Until recently, Horner’s position at Red Bull was as stable as a titanium floor plank. The Yoovidhya family, the billionaire owners of the Red Bull empire from Thailand, have stood by Horner through scandal, conflict and declining results.
But things have changed. In recent months, murmurs of discontent within the Thai camp have grown louder. Following the scandal involving internal allegations and ongoing political rifts earlier this year, the family is reportedly now open to restructuring Red Bull Racing.
If Verstappen were to leave, it would not only be a sporting blow for Red Bull, but a commercial one too. Verstappen is not just a driver, but a global brand and a magnet for sponsors, as well as being the cornerstone of the team’s marketability. His departure could set off a chain reaction that would leave the Red Bull hierarchy nervously clutching their spreadsheets.
A political game of chicken
Horner’s position now resembles a precarious game of high-stakes poker. On one side: Max Verstappen: a four-time world champion, still in his prime and holding an ace in the form of contract exit clauses. On the other: Christian Horner, who has two decades of team leadership experience but is becoming increasingly isolated due to a shifting power dynamic.
The timing couldn’t be worse. With Adrian Newey’s departure imminent, a technical brain drain underway and Mercedes openly courting Verstappen, Red Bull is under pressure on all fronts: political, technical and competitive.
If Verstappen’s team is indeed demanding a reshuffle of the power structure, the boardroom will have to decide which is the more critical pillar for the team’s future: the long-serving principal or the driver who has delivered them four consecutive titles.
Silence speaks volumes
Verstappen’s refusal to comment on the Mercedes speculation is now being seen less as coyness and more as calculated diplomacy. By not shutting down the rumours, he keeps the pressure on. By not confirming them, he keeps the Red Bull option alive. And, with his inner circle reportedly sharpening the knives for Horner, Max may already be asserting his influence behind closed doors.
This wouldn’t be the first time in Formula 1 history that a driver has influenced a team’s management structure. But it could be the most consequential. If Verstappen does force a change at the top, Red Bull’s 2026 project could look very different, perhaps with a new team boss, a new technical philosophy and, most importantly, a world champion who is still committed.
Red Bull on the Brink
For now, it remains speculation. However, it comes from sources with a track record of accuracy, and from a paddock that can smell political blood from a kilometre away.
Red Bull’s next few moves will determine whether this is just a rough patch or the end of an era. If Christian Horner doesn’t voluntarily step back, the Verstappen camp may force the issue. If they don’t get what they want, Max may very well end up at Mercedes.
What began as whispers has become a rumble. In Formula 1, rumblings like this usually mean one thing: change is coming.
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
