Max Verstappen says the Formula 1 paddock is "less stressful" following Christian Horner's exit because "it is not nice when you constantly have tension between people". Verstappen, who secured his first victory of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, won all four of his world championships at Red Bull while Horner was team principal. Horner has been linked with a return, saying leading Ferrari would be a "dream".
Any comeback could see him spar with Toto Wolff and Zak Brown again. Verstappen told the Press Association he likes to see people get on and that friendly relationships between teams are better. He described the current atmosphere as less stressful and said he doesn't know where Horner might go.
Verstappen recently signed a new four-year deal at Red Bull, having spoken with other teams including McLaren, but ruled out Ferrari, saying he is performance-driven and wants to win. He described Red Bull as a second family and the challenge of rebuilding as what's driving him. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has signed a deal to stay beyond his 46th birthday, but Verstappen, 29, does not expect to be around that long.
He said he wants to spend more time at home and see his kids grow up.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing