That is the claim of Red Bull’s reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who feels the team missed Mateschitz’s leadership in those turbulent times early in 2024.
Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing since the team joined the F1 grid in 2005, was subject of an internal Red Bull GmbH investigation into his behaviour following allegations from a fellow employee, that investigation resulting in the case being dismissed, while a subsequent appeal was also dismissed
But Red Bull would find itself battling internal unrest, with Horner and Max’s father Jos Verstappen clashing more than once, while the Red Bull futures of Max and Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko were called into question, at a time when Mercedes boss Toto Wolff made his interest in signing Max public.
Tensions ultimately calmed towards the end of F1 2024, with Max, Horner and Marko all remaining committed to Red Bull, though Max claims that the saga would not have rumbled on for so long had Mateschitz still been in charge.
The Red Bull co-founder and Red Bull Racing founder sadly passed away on October 22, 2022, which was qualifying day for that year’s United States Grand Prix.
“Of course that was not pleasant,” said Verstappen on the Red Bull unrest when speaking with Blick.
“But I would say that the matter with Dietrich Mateschitz would have been resolved much faster.”
Relations between Max Verstappen and Horner were questioned in light of the Red Bull boss’ verbal conflicts with Jos, though Max recently moved to assure that his relationship is strong with Horner.
“I have a really good relationship [with Horner]. It is a strong relationship,” he told the PA news agency.
And Max claims his father and Horner agreed to bury the hatchet in a further boost for Red Bull Racing relations.
“There was a lot of mud-slinging left and right,” he told Dutch broadcaster Viaplay.
“Ultimately, what matters is that you solve it together and not in the media – and that worked out. My father and Christian too. You have to talk about it with each other and that’s what they did.”
Verstappen secured his fourth World Championship in as many years in 2024, matching the achievement of Sebastian Vettel who won four in a row with Red Bull between 2010-13, as Verstappen heads into F1 2025 chasing his fifth crown.
