In the closing chapter of his long Red Bull tenure, Christian Horner decided to match Toto Wolff’s public pursuit of Max Verstappen with a quiet counter-move of his own. According to Horner’s newly released autobiography “Drive”, one of his last acts as team principal was to approach George Russell’s management about a possible switch to Red Bull. The talks took place during the 2025 British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone in Horner’s final race in charge before his abrupt dismissal days later.
By then, Mercedes had been openly courting Verstappen for months. Speculation came around a performance clause in the Dutchman’s contract that could have freed him if he sat outside the top three in the championship at the summer break. Wolff’s comments kept the rumour going, and Flavio Briatore even told Horner that Mercedes was convinced Verstappen would be driving silver in 2026.
Christian Horner reveals how he fought back against Toto Wolff over George Russell
Horner grew tired of the drama. “Having grown tired of Toto’s challenging approach, I decided to fight fire with fire and approached George Russell’s management for a meeting,” he writes. Russell’s contract was nearing its end. Horner questioned why Mercedes had not simply taken up its option on a driver who had performed strongly, suggesting Wolff was deliberately leaving Russell in limbo while waiting on Verstappen. “I also felt Toto’s public courting was disrespectful to such a talented young driver. He should consider Red Bull.”Horner said
The same weekend Horner also held a private conversation with Verstappen. Over coffee at Silverstone he asked the four-time champion what he really wanted. The Dutchman’s reply was that he wanted to win, but preferred to do so at Red Bull, the team where he had started his career. He made clear he would only leave if the car stopped being competitive under the new 2026 regulations. The exchange left Horner more optimistic about retaining his star, even as he explored alternatives for the second seat. This story adds another layer to the long-running personal and professional rivalry between Horner and Wolff.
