Christian Horner and Jos Verstappen 'were involved in a feisty bust up' at the British Grand Prix just DAYS before Red Bull team principal was sacked, claims Ralf Schumacher

Christian Horner's departure as Red Bull team principal, following reported tensions with Max Verstappen's father Jos, could lead to a shift in team dynamics, prompting punters to reconsider their bets on Red Bull’s performance in the upcoming races. With a new team principal in place and uncertainty surrounding the team's stability, it may benefit those betting against Red Bull’s chances of success.

Revealed: 'Difficult' Christian Horner's 'heated argument' with Max Verstappen's dad, days before Red Bull sacking, as key document suggests the real reason behind Geri Halliwell's husband's axeing.

The two men have openly had their differences over Horner's rocky final years.

Horner stepped back from the team he has overseen for more than two decades.

With him, Red Bull has won eight drivers' and six constructors' championships.

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen's father Jos were allegedly caught up in a heated exchange at the British Grand Prix just days before the former Red Bull team principal was dismissed, Ralf Schumacher has claimed.

Schumacher's revelation follows news that a change within Red Bull's ownership structure could have prompted Horner's shock departure.

The 51-year-old had served in his role since the conception of the constructor in 2005, overseeing an unprecedented period of success that has taken in six constructors' championships and eight drivers' championships.

But Horner's reign at the top of Formula One began to unravel last February, when he became embroiled in a controversy which swept the paddock and the wider sporting world.

The 51-year-old was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee following the revelation of alleged sex texts sent by the Red Bull boss, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee’s appeal. Horner has strongly denied the claims.

A mid the developing scandal, fault lines emerged within the Red Bull camp, with Jos - an influential figure in the career of his four-time world champion son - openly calling for Horner to leave the set up, and telling Mail Sport that the team was 'in danger of being torn apart' as long as he continued in his role.

Jos Verstappen is thought to have been caught up in a heated exchange with Christian Horner, according to Ralf Schumacher.

The pair were infamously spotted in a heated discussion at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Horner was dismissed from his role at Red Bull after 20 years in charge at the constructor.

Last year, Horner was embroiled in scandal after alleged sex texts emerged.

While tensions gradually eased as Horner maintained his position and Verstappen captured a fourth world championship, Schumacher claimed this week that they had not disappeared completely.

He claimed to have witnessed a tense moment between Horner and Verstappen at Silverstone last weekend, just days before his Red Bull dismissal.

'There was another argument or a heated exchange, at least visually and verbally between Jos Verstappen, Christian Horner and the press officer,' Schumacher told Boxengasse-podcast, via the Sun.

'You could see that Jos was anything but happy with the situation.'

Schumacher added that he found Horner to be 'a bit of a difficult person' who had 'failed to keep the team together well' - while admitting also that doing so was a difficult task.

'He can't really deal with criticism,' Schumacher continued. '(Sky Sports Germany) are, or I am, now, on a so-called black list, so he no longer talks to us or with me and such.

'It's actually a joke, because a man who has won so much should actually be able to discuss it in front of the camera.'

It's not the first time the pair have butted heads in the paddock.

In March 2024, Jos and Horner were previously seen in a fiery discussion at the Bahrain Grand Prix - when the sex texts controversy was at its peak - with the former seen storming out of the latter's office ahead of the race.

Verstappen's father eventually returned, and shook hands with Horner, but again had strong words for the team months later, after his son's winless run was extended to five races at his home race, the Dutch Grand Prix.

'Internally, you should hold a mirror up to yourself and not always gloss over everything,' Jos told German outlet BILD.

'It is time - if it is not already too late - to question ourselves. Horner was previously embroiled in a controversial media storm that threatened to engulf the team as a whole.

Horner is believed to have had the staunch backing of Thai owner Chalerm Yoovidhya.

'The good people are leaving the team. I'm very unhappy with what's happening.'

'Max won't be satisfied with having a car like that. Now it's up to Horner to get the team back on track.'

When asked whether he trusted Horner to turn things around at Red Bull, Jos said: 'I'll be surprised, but at the moment I'm saying no.

'A lot has to happen. The whole spirit has to change.'

Horner's future within the Formula One team has been at the centre of a major power struggle within the Austrian-Thai-owned parent company, Red Bull GmbH.

Jos's case for Horner's removal is understood to have been supported by the Austrian faction of the company, but the team boss survived due to the Thais - who supported his staying in power - owning a majority 51 per cent stake in Red Bull.

However, a recent change within the ownership structure appears to have gone a long way in consigning Horner's fate.

According to Planet F1, documents filed to the Regional Court of Salzburg in Austria this May revealed that Chalerm Yoovidhya - the son of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya and head of the Thai component of the company's ownership - had his unique two percent stake deleted.

Chaleo and Austrian co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz each held a 49 per cent stake in the company, with Yoovidhya's two per cent allowing for additional decision-making within the set-up.

Yoovidhya is believed to have been a key ally of Horner, and publicly threw his support behind his team principal amid the unfolding controversy last year.

Mark Mateschitz, who holds his father's shares in the wake of his death in 2022, was thought to have withdrawn his support for the embattled team principal.

But with the deletion of his stake, the two per cent has transferred to Swiss investment company Fides Trustees, 'an independent boutique Trust company that strives to deliver excellent service combined with a prudent yet entrepreneurial approach to Trust and Corporate services', as per its website.

With the Thai and Austrian ownership groups now equally weighted as stakeholders, this may have cleared a pathway for Horner's dismissal.

Wholesale changes are thought to be afoot at the constructor, with news breaking on Thursday that alongside Horner, a number of his key allies within the team have been moved on.

Employees close to Horner and in some cases hired by the 51-year-old are set to go as incoming team principal Laurent Mekies seeks to stamp his own vision on the constructor.

It has been claimed that a source close to the situation said that the relationships the sacked employees had with Horner had been a 'double-edged sword.'

The constructor's dismissals will also allow incoming team principal Laurent Mekies to build his own staff after joining the set-up from the constructor's sister team Racing Bulls.

The source described Mekies as being keen to impose 'his own vision' on the team and as a 'far more anonymous' character.

The Frenchman has two weeks until the next Grand Prix in Belgium, but will hit the ground running after 24 years spent working in the sport at teams including Minardi and Ferrari before he joined RB.

Horner gave an emotional farewell speech to staff at Red Bull's Milton Keynes headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, where he stressed that he will continue to be involved with the constructor, but admitted that the 'baton' is being 'handed over'.

‘Yesterday I was informed by Red Bull that operationally I would no longer be involved with the business or the team moving forward from this gathering,' Horner told his former employees.

‘I will still remain employed by the company but operationally the baton will be handed over. An emotional Christian Horner broke down in tears as he waved goodbye to his Red Bull colleagues on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old also hugged colleagues after they gave him a round of applause during the speech.

‘That obviously came as a shock to myself. What I have had time to do is reflect over the last 12 hours or so. And I wanted to stand in front of all of you and express my gratitude to each and every single member of the team that has given so much during the last 20-and-a-half years that I’ve been here.

‘When I arrived 20 years ago, with fewer grey hairs, I walked into a team and I didn’t know what to expect. But I was immediately welcomed and, in two run-down buildings, we started to build what became a powerhouse in Formula One. Watching and being part of this team has been the biggest privilege in my life.’

Mekies was described as being 'more anonymous' than Horner, stepping into the role after leading the constructor's sister team Racing Bulls.

The 48-year-old has a limited time to prepare for his debut at the pit wall, with the Belgian Grand Prix just two weeks away.

Red Bull currently sit fourth in the constructors' championship, 288 points off the leaders McLaren.

Amid the developing scandal, fault lines emerged within the Red Bull camp, with Jos openly calling for Horner to leave the set up, and telling Mail Sport that the team was 'in danger of being torn apart'.

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