Christian Horner Makes Revealing Comments After Max Verstappen's Recent Actions
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner shared his thoughts on star driver Max Verstappen trying his hand in different categories. The four-time Formula 1 champion surprised plenty of fans when he tried to hide under the name "Franz Hermann" to join the official Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) test.
The Dutchman drove the Ferrari 296 GT3 for the test at the legendary Nordschleife last Friday. The pseudonym didn't work since a couple of signs exposed Verstappen. The Verstappen.com Racing livery on the car and helmet design helped fans identify him.
Advertisement
The Red Bull star then revealed he was behind the wheel of the Ferrari 296 GT3 with a series of pictures on X.
'Having fun at the Nordschleife, Verstappen.com Racing," he wrote.
Max Verstappen during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Verstappen is back in his natural habitat, as he tries to claim his second win of the season at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Horner was asked about his driver's recent adventures and he replied that the team tends to give freedom to their talent.
Verstappen reportedly set a new lap record during his test, which could have opened a door for a future career in this category.
That said, Horner added that he draws the line at the four-time champion missing a Formula 1 race.
Advertisement
'He's not going to miss a race, that's for sure,' Horner said, per Sky Sports. 'The focus obviously has to be here on the day job. But I think it's great that he's so versatile. As Red Bull, we've always been slightly more relaxed than perhaps other teams in terms of the freedom that we've given our drivers.
'But it's finding that compromise, finding that balance. Obviously, the priority is here. But it's great that he's embracing all forms of motorsport.'
Verstappen has been the only driver who has gotten in the middle of McLaren's dominance to start this season. He won the Japan Grand Prix, but has been inconsistent since that moment.
This weekend's grand prix could be a good opportunity for him to go back to the top or watch the papayas increase their dominance over the competition.
Related: F1 Imola Grand Prix 2025: Full Weekend Schedule, Dates, and Key Times
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
George Russell Issues Scathing Statement Regarding the Max Verstappen Collision
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mercedes F1 driver George Russell had some choice words for Max Verstappen after the two drivers collided at the Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen hit Russell's car while giving a position back for an earlier collision, which left the Mercedes car damaged. Russell and Verstappen have a storied history of problems on and off the track. The pair had a heated war of words last season. George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes answers questions in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 1, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty... George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes answers questions in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 1, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by) More Photo byRussell, after Sunday's collision in Barcelona, went right back at Verstappen for the retaliatory move during his post-race debrief. "It felt very deliberate, to be honest," Russell told reporters after the race. "It's something that I've seen numerous times in sim racing and on iRacing. Never have I seen it in a Formula 1 race. So that was something new. "It's a bit of a shame because Max is clearly one of the best drivers in the world. "But maneuvers like that are just totally unnecessary and sort of lets him down. It's a shame for all the young kids looking up, aspiring to be Formula 1 drivers. "So, as I said, I don't know what he was thinking. In the end, I'm not going to lose sleep over it because I ultimately benefited from those antics." The collision came as a result of a safety car bunching up the field, leading to a string of on-track battles during the last handful of laps. All of the cars made a pit stop to get a fresh pair of tires because the track in Barcelona was chewing up the cars' rubber. Limited in his choices for tires due to three pit stops, Verstappen was put on hard tires, which left the driver vulnerable since the other nearby cars were on soft tires. After losing a place to Charles Leclerc, Verstappen had Russell right on his tail. Russell went for the overtake on Verstappen, though there was contact between the drivers. A dramatic restart! 😱 This was a heart-in-mouth moment between Verstappen and Leclerc 👀#F1 #SpanishGP — Formula 1 (@F1) June 1, 2025 Red Bull were nervous that Verstappen would be given a penalty for the incident and requested that the Dutch driver give Russell the place. Later in the lap, Verstappen started to slow down, seeming ready to give the place back, when out of nowhere he jolts his car into the Mercedes, leading to damage on his rival's car. This collision led to a five-second time penalty, which dropped Verstappen down to P10, while Russell managed to carry on and finish P4. Drama in the closing stages of the race! 😱 Max Verstappen drops to P10 following a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with George Russell #F1 #SpanishGP — Formula 1 (@F1) June 1, 2025 More F1: Max Verstappen Awarded FIA Platinum License for Endurance Racing For more F1, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nico Rosberg calls for Max Verstappen to be disqualified at end of Spanish GP
Nico Rosberg believes Max Verstappen should have been disqualified from the Spanish Grand Prix after a late collision with George Russell. A late safety car threw the result into chaos, with Verstappen struggling at the restart on hard tyres, with those around him on quicker, soft tyres. Advertisement Having lost third place to Charles Leclerc, Verstappen was then told by his engineer to give fourth place to Russell after the pair made contact at turn 1. Yet when the Dutchman seemed to let his arch-rival through, the Red Bull driver swerved aggressively into the Briton's car. The pair made contact, but a matter of seconds later, Russell did take fourth place. The Brit commented: 'What the f***!' On commentary duties for Sky Sports F1, 2016 F1 world champion Rosberg said of Verstappen's manoeuvre: 'That is bad, that is seriously bad. 'You need to black flag [disqualify] that, there's no other way.' Advertisement Instead, the stewards decided to impose a 10-second time penalty on Verstappen, dropping the Red Bull driver from fifth to 10th in the final standings. Elaborating further after the race, Rosberg added: 'It looked like a retaliation, ramming into the opponent. That's something that is extremely unacceptable, that's why I said black flag.' Verstappen is also under investigation post-race for brief contact made with Leclerc down the main straight after the safety car restart. Max Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty after the Spanish GP (Getty Images) Nico Rosberg believes Verstappen should have been disqualified (Getty Images) Verstappen and Russell were embroiled in a bitter feud at the end of last year, after an incident in Qatar in December, with both taking shots at the other on media day in Abu Dhabi. Advertisement Of Sunday's incident in Barcelona, Russell remarked: 'I've seen those manoeuvres before in simulators and go-karting, not in Formula 1. 'I'm in P4, he's P10 - I don't know what's going through his mind, it felt deliberate in the moment, it felt surprising. 'I'm not going to give it any thought, we have our problems. It's down to the stewards to decide if it was deliberate or not, Max is such an amazing driver, so many people look up to him, it seems completely unnecessary. 'I'm too close to give my opinion on behalf of the drivers but, in Austin last year, he did some of the best moves ever. Then Mexico, he let's himself down a bit. Imola, one of the best moves, and then this happens. It cost him and his team a lot of points. Advertisement 'I'm not going to lose sleep, we've got our own issues to deal with.' Oscar Piastri won the race in Barcelona from pole, with Lando Norris securing a one-two finish for McLaren and Leclerc finishing in third.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Max Verstappen on the verge of F1 race ban after George Russell collision
Max Verstappen has now got 11 penalty points to his name - 12 points over one year results in a race ban (Getty Images) Max Verstappen is one penalty point away from an F1 race ban after his dramatic collision with George Russell in the closing stages of the Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen, who had just lost third place to Charles Leclerc after a safety car restart, was told by his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to give fourth place to arch-rival Russell, after the pair briefly touched at turn 1. Advertisement The Red Bull driver initially moved over to allow Russell through before swerving aggressively into the Mercedes car. Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty by the stewards straight after race, dropping him from fifth to tenth, though Nico Rosberg believed the Dutchman should have been disqualified. Yet one hour after the race concluded, Verstappen was given a further three penalty points on his FIA superlicence for the collision, bringing his total to 11 points. A race ban is triggered if a driver accrues 12 points over a 12-month period, as seen with Kevin Magnussen last year. It means Verstappen must avoid a penalty point at the next race in Canada (15 June) in order to avoid a ban for the Austrian Grand Prix (29 June). On 30 June, two of Verstappen's penalty points for a collision with Lando Norris last year in Austria will be wiped, bringing his total back down to nine. Asked about the incident after the race, Verstappen refused to comment. Advertisement 'Does it matter?' he responded. 'Yeah OK, that's great. I prefer to speak about the race, not just one single moment.' Asked further if his dangerous manoeuvres damage his reputation, Verstappen replied: 'Yeah OK, that's your opinion. We'll leave it there.' Verstappen also escaped punishment for the brief moment of contact with Leclerc on the main straight, with neither driver deemed responsible. Russell, who was involved in a heated war of words with Verstappen at the end of last season, believed that Verstappen's move 'felt deliberate in the moment.' Verstappen finished 10th in Spain after the 10-second penalty (Getty Images) 'I've seen those manoeuvres before in simulators and go-karting, not in Formula 1,' he said. Advertisement 'I'm in P4, he's P10. I don't know what's going through his mind, it felt deliberate in the moment, it felt surprising. 'It's down to the stewards to decide if it was deliberate or not, Max is such an amazing driver, so many people look up to him, it seems completely unnecessary. 'I'm too close to give my opinion on behalf of the drivers but, in Austin last year, some of the best moves ever [from Max], then Mexico, he let's himself down a bit. In Imola [last month, one of the best moves, and then this happens. 'It cost him and his team a lot of points.' Nico Rosberg, the 2016 F1 world champion on commentary duties for Sky Sports F1 in Spain, believes Verstappen should have been black-flagged. Advertisement 'That is bad, that is seriously bad,' he said. 'You need to black flag [disqualify] that, there's no other way. 'It looked like a retaliation, ramming into the opponent. That's something that is extremely unacceptable, that's why I said black flag.' Asked how concerned he was about a potential race suspension, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told the written media: 'You can never guarantee anything. He's just got to keep his nose clean in the next couple of races. 'Then the first points come off at the end of June.' Verstappen now trails championship leader and Sunday's race winner in Barcelona, Oscar Piastri, by 49 points after nine rounds.
