Christian Horner has given a rare peek behind the curtain at the relationship between Max Verstappen and his father Jos Verstappen, revealing some fascinating insights about their dynamic. Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, the former Red Bull team principal said that Max still actively seeks his father's approval in pretty much everything he does. It's a pretty human story when you think about it, and it clearly shaped how the reigning champion approaches both his racing and his life off track.

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Horner explained that Jos carries serious weight within F1 circles thanks to his own racing pedigree and massive profile in the Netherlands. The problem was that whenever Jos said something, it'd wind up plastered across the newspapers the next day. This inevitably created friction at Red Bull because Horner had to balance the interests of the team with the strong personalities involved. He wasn't entirely critical though, acknowledging that Jos played a genuinely useful role in Max's formative years, keeping him grounded and being his biggest critic when it mattered most.

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The relationship between the two men wasn't always smooth sailing. A flashpoint came at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix when Jos felt Red Bull should have prioritized Max's race win over teammate Sergio Perez's victory. Horner pushed back, making it clear the team wasn't going to play favorites like that. Things deteriorated significantly after the 2024 controversy surrounding Horner, which eventually led to his departure from the team in July 2025.

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In his forthcoming book, Horner has opened up about the Verstappens in ways that the Netflix Drive to Survive series didn't fully capture. He notes that while Jos was never exactly his biggest fan, he doesn't believe the Verstappens were responsible for his exit from Red Bull. The personal dynamics that played out behind the scenes paint a picture of a complicated but ultimately important relationship between a father and son in motorsport's spotlight.

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