What seemed like a calm weekend at the British Grand Prix reportedly turned into a flashpoint for drama behind the scenes at Red Bull Racing.
According to former F1 driver and pundit Ralf Schumacher, there was a heated confrontation involving Christian Horner and Jos Verstappen — Max Verstappen’s outspoken father — just days before Horner’s eventual departure from the team.
A Legacy Under Pressure
Christian Horner had been at the helm of Red Bull Racing since its formation in 2005.
Under his leadership, the team collected an impressive haul of six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships — a golden era for the brand.
But that legacy took a hit earlier this year when Horner became the subject of serious controversy.
In February, he was accused by a female employee of sexual harassment and coercive control.
Although Horner was twice cleared of the allegations — first by an internal legal investigation, then again on appeal — the damage within the Red Bull camp was already evident.
Horner has consistently denied the allegations.
Jos Verstappen Calls for Change
The scandal didn’t just rattle the media; it fractured relationships inside the team.
Jos Verstappen was one of the most vocal critics, publicly stating that Horner’s continued presence could tear the team apart.
Despite Max Verstappen clinching his fourth world title later that season, the internal rift didn’t simply vanish.
Now, Ralf Schumacher has added fuel to the fire by revealing that Horner and Jos clashed again at Silverstone.
Speaking on the Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher claimed there was a visible and verbal confrontation involving Jos, Horner, and a Red Bull press officer.
“Jos clearly wasn’t happy with the situation,” Schumacher said.
Schumacher’s Take on Horner’s Leadership
Ralf Schumacher didn’t hold back in his assessment of Horner.
He described the longtime team boss as “a bit of a difficult person” who struggled to hold the team together during the crisis.
He added that dealing with criticism is not Horner’s strong suit.
In fact, Schumacher said that he and the German Sky Sports team had essentially been blacklisted by Horner.
“He doesn’t speak to me anymore,” Ralf noted.
“That’s kind of ridiculous. Someone who’s achieved so much should be able to handle a little bit of criticism in front of the camera.”
This Wasn’t Their First Clash
This wasn’t the first time Horner and Jos had locked horns in public.
They had another tense exchange at last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix — right when the controversy around Horner was unfolding.
Jos was seen leaving Horner’s office in frustration, although he later returned to shake hands. Still, the friction didn’t disappear.
Months later, Jos once again blasted Red Bull after Max failed to win five races in a row, including his home race in the Netherlands.
“We need to stop glossing things over and be honest with ourselves,” Jos told BILD.
“The good people are leaving the team, and I’m very unhappy with what’s going on.”
Jos Doubts Horner Can Fix the Team
Jos didn’t mince words when asked whether he had faith in Horner to right the ship at Red Bull.
“I’d be surprised,” he admitted. “Right now, my answer is no.
A lot has to change. The spirit of the team has to be rebuilt.”
It’s clear that even with all of Red Bull’s track success, cracks behind the scenes have grown too big to ignore.
Horner may have helped build one of F1’s most successful modern teams — but according to some, keeping it together was where he fell short.
