Christian Horner branded ‘wrong man’ to lead Red Bull as Max Verstappen exit talk intensifies

Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher doesn’t think Christian Horner is “the right man to lead Red Bull into a new future” amid speculation that Max Verstappen could leave the team.

Verstappen has been heavily linked with a switch to Mercedes.

During the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, George Russell revealed that conversations have occurred between Mercedes and the Verstappen camp.

While Verstappen is contracted at Red Bull until the end of 2028, Red Bull’s decline in form could put his future in jeopardy.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has insisted that he’s happy with his current driver line up.

Russell has arguably been the best driver of the 2025 F1 season, while Kimi Antonelli is viewed as a generational talent.

However, Verstappen is F1’s top driver at the moment, meaning it’s an opportunity Mercedes seemingly can’t pass up on.

Is Horner under pressure?

Horner has been Red Bull team principal since its inception in 2025.

The Briton is one of the sport’s most successful team bosses, overseeing title triumphs with Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel.

Red Bull are on the decline.

Since the departure of Adrian Newey last year, the team have struggled on track.

They’ve also lost Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber.

Horner was the centre of a scandal at the start of last year, and the Red Bull boss was investigated for inappropriate behaviour.

Schumacher thinks Red Bull might need to make a change at the top to turn things around.

“I would say that Red Bull, like many other successful teams - Mercedes was the prime example - is now going to have a hard time. From my point of view, from the outside, there’s no harmony. I think everybody is aware of it, and you see it every weekend,” Schumacher said.

“So I think a major reorganization is coming. Personally, I know Christian Horner wouldn’t like me for it, but I also don’t believe he’s still the right man to lead Red Bull into a new future.

“I think he has shown that his decisions probably led to the situation we’re in now. I wouldn’t call it a problem, but he struggles to recruit people for the team and to keep motivation high. That’s something I’m curious about.”