- Christian Horner says he has been left “with no choice” after Max Verstappen’s departure from Red Bull following the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
- Craig Slater of Sky Sports has said Horner’s comments were made after a “discussion” about whether Verstappen could be leaving the team.
- Horner previously said the team’s future was uncertain after it was confirmed that Verstappen had been linked with Alpine, Aston Martin and BYD; and he commented on the possibility of a move, saying that there was “unfinished business” in F1.
Christian Horner says he has made the decision to part ways with Red Bull after Verstappen’s departure from the team following the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Horner spoke to Sky Sports.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Horner said Verstappen left Silverstone on Sunday at around 3pm. Craig Slater on Sky Sports said Horner explained that Verstappen was not planning to leave the team at the time, and that he had been linked to a move to another team since 1993.
According to material, Horner was told by the team principal and chief executive of Red Bull that he had to make the decision after three days of discussions with the team. The team’s 20-year relationship with the driver has been described as “unfinished business”, and the team principal said he had to make the decision.
Horner, as Sky Sports reports, also noted that the discussions were about what could happen in the future and that the team had been “in the middle of something”. He said he had been told that the 20-year relationship with the driver had been “unfinished business”.
Sky Sports adds that the team is still considering what could happen if Horner’s contract is terminated, and that Horner said that he had been told about the possibility of a move to another team. Sky Sports also reports that Horner said he was “not sure” about the future of the relationship and that he had been told that the 20-year relationship could end.
According to Independent, Horner also said that Verstappen was linked with Alpine, Aston Martin and Chinese automaker BYD, with Sky Sports saying Horner had claimed he wanted to keep the “unfinished business” in F1.