Christian Horner ‘went through fire’ for Max Verstappen as Red Bull ace still in contact | F1 | Sport

Max Verstappen has expressed his gratitude to former team principal Christian Horner, stating that the Brit “went through fire” for him, and revealed that the pair still talk on the phone ahead of almost every Formula One Grand Prix.

Horner had served as Red Bull’s team principal from the very beginning, overseeing all eight of Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen’s combined eight Drivers’ Championship titles. However, after a turbulent period behind the scenes, the 52-year-old was fired after the British Grand Prix back in July.

In his place arrived Laurent Mekies, who had been promoted from the Racing Bulls’ sister team. The Frenchman’s switch coincided with an upturn in form, and with more competitive machinery underneath him, Verstappen was able to end the season with 10 consecutive podiums, bringing him back into the World Championship battle.

Looking back at Horner’s exit, Verstappen told Viaplay: “Things weren’t going well within the team in terms of results, and there was a bit of unrest, and when things aren’t going well for a while, it’s the shareholders who want to see change.

“Ultimately, it’s just difficult because you’ve built up a bond with Christian and achieved so much together, especially those moments in 2021, which you’ll never forget. Christian ultimately went through fire for me, and things like that are difficult when you talk to each other on the phone.”

Delving deeper into his conversations with Horner since the Brit’s F1 exit, Verstappen continued: “[We speak] every week, during every race on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He sends me messages, for example, but we also keep in touch during holidays.

“It’s more about him saying: ‘I wish you the best of luck, and I believe in you. I’m your biggest fan, blah blah, but also about what we’ve all been through.’ In those kinds of situations and beyond, you also talk about things other than racing. We are in contact every race weekend, even after his dismissal.”

Horner could be back in the paddock with Verstappen before long. Earlier this week, reports emerged that the British motorsport executive is eyeing a 24 per cent stake in Alpine, which is currently owned by a consortium of Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments.

Included in the funding of that deal are several elite athletes and celebrities, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Real Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold, and golfing icon Rory McIlroy.