Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has denied that Max Verstappen was responsible for his departure from the team last year, Afrosport reports.
The 52-year-old left his role last summer after the team drastically fell away from McLaren in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship and internal disputes that led to the departures of a number of key technical figures.
Reports suggested that four-time world champion Verstappen refused to commit his future to Red Bull because of Horner. The Dutch driver eventually signed a contract extension until 2028 after Horner had departed the team.
Horner, however debunked those claims in the upcoming release of Drive to Survive on Netflix.
“[Max Verstappen’s] father has never been my biggest fan,” he said.
“He’s been outspoken about me, but I don’t believe that the Verstappens were responsible in any way.”
Horner joined Red Bull in 2005 when it took over from the Jaguar Racing team. He led to Austrian outfit to eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championship titles.
