Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was left dumbfounded when he was asked a weird 'Kiss, Marry, Kill' question involving Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, and Sebastian Vettel. The Brit has led the Austrian team since its inception in 2005 and has been a key figure in their dominance in F1 in the early 2010s and 2020s,
The 51-year-old, alongside Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, has given an opportunity to several drivers including Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, and Sebastian Vettel, who have arguably been the three most successful from the team's roster of junior drivers. While Vettel and Verstappen both won four consecutive driver's championships with the Milton Keynes outfit, Ricciardo won seven races in five years and produced some iconic moments for the team.
In a clipshared on the social media platform, Instagram, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was asked a 'Kiss, Marry, Kill' question involving the three drivers. Horner was shocked by the question and chose to ignore it by saying:
"I can't play games like that."
Vettel and Ricciardo ultimately decided to jump ship but Verstappen has stayed put with the Austrian team and has a contract with them until the end of the 2028 season. The Dutch driver has been intensely defended by Horner on several occasions and provided his unwavering support over the years.
Red Bull team boss gives his honest take on Max Verstappen being booed at the F175 Launch
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was unimpressed by his charge Max Verstappen getting booed at the F175 Launch at the O2 Arena in London on February 18 and stated that the scenario was "disappointing".
Speaking with the media in F1 Testing, the 51-year-old reflected on the events and reactions and said:
"Launching your car is a bit like launching your away strip in a home fans' stadium. Fans will always back the teams and drivers that they want to. Of course, we have been the protagonists over the years. I guess the only disappointment I had with it was that the reception to Max as a four-time world champion was disappointing. Passion in sport is always going to be there, if the launches had been in Holland, no doubt the reception would have been somewhat different.
"I think the fandom has changed obviously over the last few years, as we've been welcoming more and more diverse fans to the sport. Sport is polarising and competitive. Fans are passionate, and they support their drivers, they support predominantly, their teams. You can't dictate that," he added.
Max Verstappen's father too was displeased by the reactions and claimed that his son wouldn't attend further events in the country. However, the 27-year-old was largely unaffected by the reactions and brushed them aside in his recent media interactions.