Martin Brundle: "Almost considered Jos Verstappen as team principal of Red Bull"

Martin Brundle suggested Jos Verstappen had effectively taken control at Red Bull from the 2024 season

Former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle has admitted that he "almost considered Jos [Verstappen] as team principal of Red Bull" since the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. This comes after former CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing Christian Horner was relieved of his duties following reported power disputes and a drop in performance.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast with 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg, Brundle painted a picture of a squad where the lead driver's team had effectively assumed control after a spate of issues.

"One year ago, the Verstappen camp, Max Verstappen's dad, said Horner has to go now. He's going to destroy this team. Do you think that played a role now? Verstappen said to Red Bull, either Horner goes, or we go to Mercedes," Rosberg asked Brundle.

Brundle was quick to answer, admitting that he had already assumed that the Verstappen camp had taken control.

"Absolutely, I think since Bahrain last year, I've almost considered Jos as the team principal of Red Bull. It's become a one-driver team, and I think that's something they've got to fix.

"There's no way the hierarchy in Austria would have done... the Verstappens would have bought into this, they wouldn't have been blindsided, so there's no way that Max will now be leaving the team because of that. They would have ensured that before they made that move with Christian."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Thompson - Getty Images

The turning point came in February of last year, when allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Horner by a female colleague surfaced. While Horner was cleared of these allegations, Max Verstappen's father waged war with comments to the media, including the Daily Mail.

“There is tension here while he remains in position," he said at the time. “The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

Leveraging his son's indispensable place in the team and after the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, Brundle believes he managed to assume more control over the team. And as Austrian executives filled the power vacuum left by the passing of Mateschitz alongside the Yoovidhya family, confidence in Horner fell as further cracks in the team started to become visible.

"Key people were leaving. Rob Marshall, Adrian Newey - the greatest designer of all time - has gone to Aston Martin," Rosberg told Sky Germany.

"That’s always the beginning of the end for a dominant team when talent starts leaving for rivals. And we also know that Jos Verstappen said a year ago that Horner had to go because he would destroy the team.

"So maybe the Verstappen camp told Red Bull: either he goes, or we’re going to Mercedes. That’s also possible."