Horner's departure closer than ever: Verstappen's situation critical

It has become a recurring story: the ongoing unrest continues to tear apart Red Bull Racing internally, resulting in an atmosphere that has plummeted to new lows and high levels of mutual distrust. The center of the recurring controversy remains Horner, who, following the death of Red Bull GmbH owner Dietrich Mateschitz, has gained a lot of power. Too much power, some within and around the team believe.

It's no secret that Verstappen and his entourage would like to see the British team principal's powers limited (which was partly already done), though their preference is for Horner to leave the team, which he co-founded. For a long time, this seemed like a wish that would not be fulfilled, but increasingly, a departure from Horner is indeed an option for the big bosses of Red Bull GmbH.

GPblog learns that it is no longer ruled out that Horner might have to close the door behind him at Red Bull in the near future, now that the company's boss is fed up with the bickering, and moreover, the team's performances are declining as each race goes by. There are such strong forces now at play within the entire Red Bull organisation that Horner more than ever has to fear for his future.

This cannot be seen separately from the situation of Verstappen, who isn't ruling out leaving the Austrian team anymore, although deep down, he prefers to stay with Red Bull.

Red Bull Racing cannot afford its most important asset to move teams; making Red Bull weaker and the competition (likely Mercedes) stronger. If it means bidding farewell to Horner, then that seems to be an easy choice for the leadership of Red Bull GmbH.

This, however, does not mean that Verstappen is one hundred percent certain to stay with Red Bull Racing in 2026 if Horner were to leave. After all, resolving all the internal issues within the organisation may provide one reason to stay, but still, there must also be a decent outlook on the future in terms of performance. This is precisely where there is considerable concern, especially after another disastrous afternoon in Great Britain.