The ‘million dollar question’ surrounding Christian Horner’s sacking

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has suggested that Christian Horner’s Red Bull sacking is directly linked to the future of Max Verstappen.

Horner has been sacked by Red Bull with immediate effect after a two-decade stint as team principal amid a dramatic decline in form during a difficult 2025 F1 season and speculation surrounding the future of star driver Verstappen.

The four-time world champion has been heavily linked with Mercedes and Aston Martin in recent months and is said to be open to making a shock switch to the Silver Arrows.

Seven-time grand prix winner Montoya believes the call to fire Horner was made either because Verstappen has already decided to quit Red Bull, or to ensure that he stays put.

Horner’s relationship with the Verstappens is understood to have been strained ever since accusations were made against the 51-year-old Briton by a female colleague last year which led to political turbulence within the team during the early part of the 2024 season.

“I think Christian Horner’s sacking has surprised everybody,” Montoya told BetVictor Casino.

“There has been talk for the last year and a half about them possibly wanting Horner out, because of all the drama happening internally at Red Bull. I think there are going to be a lot of changes in Red Bull, they need a lot of changes.

“The million-dollar question is, have Red Bull got rid of Horner because Max Verstappen is leaving, or did they get rid of Horner to prevent Max from leaving? That’s what everyone will be wondering about for the next few weeks or months until we know what happens with Max.

“Overall, I think the sacking has a lot to do with Max leaving Red Bull. Whether it’s about Max staying or leaving, that will be the big question mark everyone is wondering about.”

Red Bull need to rebuild team

Horner’s sacking comes after a wave of senior departures from Red Bull which has included legendary designer Adrian Newey and former sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.

Montoya believes Red Bull are in need of a total rebuild of the team following the mass exodus.

“With how hard the Red Bull car is to drive, they need to rebuild their team,” Montoya added.

“Adrian Newey has left, and they need a new structure to be put in place. In the long term, Red Bull will be okay, but in the short term, they’re going to struggle to put everything in place and hire the right people.

“It’s going to be exciting from the outside to see what happens at Red Bull. I do feel sorry for Christian because of everything he’s done for the team. Everything happens for a reason and we’ll see what happens.”