Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has once again responded to comments made by George Russell. The Mercedes driver had a run-in with Max Verstappen during the final races of 2024. Among other things, Russell claimed that many Red Bull employees were sending their resumes to other teams because of the world champion. Although the feud between Russell and Verstappen is now over, Horner takes the opportunity to explain the loyalty of his team.
George Russell and Max Verstappen ended 2024 with a dispute following an incident during the qualifying round in Qatar. The British driver was hindered during Q3 by Verstappen, who the stewards deemed was ‘unnecessarily slow’, causing him to lose his pole position a few hours later. The last few races were therefore primarily a mud-slinging match between Russell and Verstappen, although the Dutchman did draw a line under it in Abu Dhabi.
However, it seems the last word has not yet been spoken, as Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has a small warning for Russell. The Mercedes driver stated in early December that “twenty-five percent of the Red Bull team had sent their resumes to Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin”.”I would be more concerned about other matters if I were George Russell,” Horner tells selected media. “I don’t know where he thinks and to whom he thinks they are offering their services, but all key figures have committed to the company for the long term. If you look at people like Gianpiero Lambiase and the main members of the engineering team, they all have long-term contracts.”
Destabilization Attempts
According to Horner, Russell’s statements are not new within Formula 1, and are simply part of the game. “One of the less pleasant aspects of the business is the effort made to try to take advantage of other teams’ problems,” continues the team boss. “I’ve said it before, but the higher you climb, the sharper the knives. In 2024, they became quite sharp at some points. But when so much is at stake, other teams will use all the means they have to try to destabilize a hugely successful team.”
