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Christian Horner has made a U-turn on Toto Wolff Max Verstappen approach

Originally posted on HITC | By David Comerford | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 9:36 AM ET

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are two of F1’s most familiar rivals, with plenty of history between Red Bull and Mercedes at the top of the sport.

The feud between the two bosses exploded during the 2021 title fight, as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went head-to-head for the world championship. The battle stretched all the way to the finale — and Verstappen came out on top.

Since then, Mercedes hasn’t managed to topple Verstappen. Instead, it’s McLaren who now look the most likely to bring his run to an end.

Lately, the political fight between Wolff and Horner has played out away from the racetrack. Wolff is believed to be interested in signing Verstappen — even though the Dutchman is under contract until 2028, and an exit clause is rumored.

Christian Horner says Toto Wolff is doing his ‘job’ by pursuing Max Verstappen

Just over a year ago, Horner wasn’t pleased with how public Wolff was about his interest. At the time, Mercedes were still struggling to keep up with their engine customers, and Horner fired back.

“His time would be better spent perhaps focusing on the team rather than the driver market,” Horner said via BBC Sport.

Photo by SHU Zelin/Paddocker/NurPhoto via Getty Images

But during the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Horner offered a different perspective. Speaking with De Telegraaf, he was asked whether teams like Mercedes and McLaren were right to approach Verstappen’s camp.

“Of course,” he replied. “They wouldn’t be doing their job properly if they didn’t. But that doesn’t automatically mean Max will leave. It’s just part of Formula 1.”

Christian Horner will love how Max Verstappen responded to Ted Kravitz’s ‘unfair’ question

It’s unclear why exactly Horner has changed his tune. Perhaps he feels more confident that Verstappen will remain at Red Bull.

Mercedes may have to ‘postpone’ their Verstappen pursuit, as the team looks set to keep George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Meanwhile, Aston Martin, another team linked with Verstappen, has both drivers still under contract.

Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Verstappen also seems committed to Red Bull. After a rocky spell — including the strategy call that led to his collision with Russell in Spain — he defended the team and took aim at criticism.

In one instance, Verstappen walked out of an interview with Ted Kravitz after the Sky Sports reporter questioned Red Bull’s judgment calls — something Horner no doubt appreciated, as it showed Verstappen sticking up for those inside the camp.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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