Max Verstappen subtly lashed out at Christian Horner because of his poor performance during the Singapore GP. According to him, Red Bull wastes the potential capacity of the RB21.

Tensions within Red Bull Racing reach a new boiling point after the disappointing Grand Prix of Singapore on October 5, 2025. Max Verstappen, the four -time world champion, could hardly hide his frustration after a race in which he finished only sixth. In an interview with Autosport after the match, the Dutchman subtly led to his former team boss Christian Horner. “We waste the potential of the RB21 by not getting the maximum out of it,” said Verstappen Cryptic, a comment that insiders immediately linked to Horner’s recent decisions during his short interim period after his dismissal in July. It is a rare moment of open criticism from the 28-year-old driver, who normally remains loyal to the team that made him big.

The Marina Bay Street Circuit, with its winding turns and humid nocturnal atmosphere, has never yielded a victory – a statistics that now feel even more painful in a season in which McLaren is the service. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri dominated the qualification and the race, with Norris who grabbed pole and won the victory after a clear strategy. Verstappen, driving in the RB21, struggled with understeer in sector two and a lack of traction from the slow chicanes. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda did not do much better with an eighth place, which only emphasized the gap with the competition. Red Bull fell further away in the constructors’ championship, now fourth behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes, with only 285 points opposite McLaren’s 412.

Horner’s role in this malaise is crucial. After twenty years as a team boss, he was fired in July 2025 by the Thai shareholders of Red Bull, amidst rumors about internal power struggle and falling performance. Laurent Mekies, who came from Alphatauri, took over, but Horner remained involved as an adviser until September. In that period he pushed for a controversial upgrade package for the RB21, aimed at aerodynamic efficiency, but with a narrow work window that made the car even more difficult for the drivers. Verstappen, who describes the car as “a beast to tame”, has caught two wins this season – in Australia and Miami – but emphasizes that it could have been potentially larger. “The data shows that we could have won 0.3 seconds per round if we had adjusted the setup better,” said De Limburger, a hint to Horner’s Focus on short-term profit instead of long-term stability.

Insiders whisper that Verstappen’s remark is a direct sneer to Horner’s management style. During the preparations for Singapore, Horner insisted on a more aggressive tire strategy, which led to an early pit stop for Verstappen that pulled him out of the top five. “It was risky, but necessary,” Horner later defended himself in a press conference, but his words sounded hollow after the race. The Brit, who lifted Red Bull from a Midfield team to Dominance with Sebastian Vettel and later Verstappen, now seems to be the scapegoat for the 2025 regression. The RB21, intended as an evolution of the successful RB20, is struggling with a lack of Downforce on high speeds and a motor that does not perform optimally on Singpore. Analysts point to Horner’s decision to move resources to the 2026 Motor project, which delayed the development of the current car.

Verstappen’s frustration is not new. Already in March, during tests in Bahrain, he complained about the “difficult” handling of the RB21, a car that looks perfectly tailored to his aggressive driving style, but others – such as Liam Lawson earlier this season – is troubled. Horner reacted laconically at the time: “Max adapts, that is his strength.” But now, with the championship out of reach – Verstappen is third with 210 points, 65 behind Piaastri – that dynamics are crumbling. Rumors about an early departure from Verstappen to Mercedes for 2026 are circulating, especially after Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari. “I focus on Red Bull, but we have to be realistic,” said Verstappen diplomatically, although there was dissatisfaction in his tone.

Singapore’s afterpath extends beyond the track. In De Paddock it is buzzing with speculation about team dynamics. Helmut Marko, the Austrian adviser, opens Verstappen openly and has welcomed Horner’s resignation as “a fresh start”. Mekies, the new boss, announced that a major upgrade for Austin is coming, including a revised floor and front wing, to close the gap. But critics doubt whether that is enough; McLaren’s MCL40 seems unbeatable, with consistent speed and reliability. For Red Bull, once the benchmark, this feels like a wake-up call. Verstappen’s subtle outages to Horner underlines a fault line: the champion demands change, and quickly.

Yet there remains hope. Verstappen’s pure speed – he set the fastest racer round in Singapore despite his position – recalls his class. If Red Bull listens to his input, the RB21 can still bring surprises in the remaining six races. The GP of the United States will be crucial in two weeks; A stage there would calm the mood. For Horner, now completely offside, this is a bitter end to an illustrious career. Are legacy? Indisputable, but overshadowed by a season of missed opportunities. Verstappen, in the meantime, continues – always looking for that extra edge, even if it means that he has to encourage his own team. In the world of Formula 1, where loyalty is brittle, this criticism could be the spark for a comeback. Or, worse, for a farewell.