P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Days before Christian Horner was sacked, Max Verstappen issued a defence for his Red Bull team principal.
Max Verstappen defended Christian Horner’s management of Red Bull, stating that blaming management during a performance slide is easy. Horner, one of the most successful team principals in F1 history, was dismissed after a WhatsApp exchange with Martin Brundle. Laurent Mekies took over as the new Red Bull team principal and CEO. Despite Verstappen’s two wins out of the final 14 races under Horner in 2024, the team struggled following a dominant 2023 season. Verstappen highlighted the team’s balance issues and weaknesses in low-speed corners compared to rivals like McLaren. He acknowledged areas for improvement but remained diplomatic about the management’s role in the team’s performance.
