“We’re overcomplicating”: Christian Horner rules out Max Verstappen changing his driving style after Mexico GP penalty

Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen will always maintain his aggressive driving style, despite increasing scrutiny. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, after the 2024 Mexican GP, the Red Bull Racing CEO emphasized that the sport should avoid over-complicating and over-regulating the rules of engagement on track.

Verstappen’s driving came under the spotlight after controversial moves on Lando Norris in Austin and Mexico. While he escaped a penalty in Austin, the stewards handed him two ten-second penalties in Mexico. Although the Dutchman's tactics often exploit loopholes within the current rules, the resulting controversy has prompted the stewards to revise the regulations, with changes implemented by the Qatar GP. The recent drivers' briefing in Mexico included a detailed discussion on inconsistencies in stewarding and rule enforcement.

With new regulations in place, Verstappen may be forced to adjust his approach. However, Horner has insisted that the Dutchman will continue driving aggressively, based on his interpretation of the rules. The Red Bull boss also stressed the importance of clarity from the stewards for the remaining four races, predicting even fiercer on-track battles. He argued that the current rules are overly complicated and need to be simplified.

Asked by Sportskeeda if the over-regulation of the rules of engagement could force the reigning drivers' champion to change his driving style, Horner said:

“Max will always drive aggressively to what he perceives as the regulations. When you step over that mark, then of course you'll get a penalty. I just fear that we’re perhaps over-complicating it, and all I would do is encourage that there is a constructive discussion between the drivers and the driver's steward to say ‘Ok, we’re going to have another four hotly contested races what is and what isn’t acceptable.’”

Asked what the danger of racing getting litigated was, Horner said:

“It's frustrating in that you don't want to have to consult a rule book on every single overtake or defense and all of these guys have grown up doing a lot of racing and understand the principles of that and I think it's just important that we don't over-regulate into a point where you encourage a behaviour that is not within the guidelines in the principles of motorcading.”

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Christin Horner reckons Max Verstappen lacked pure pace against the McLaren

Christian Horner believes the key takeaway from the Mexican GP was Max Verstappen’s inability to match McLaren’s pace on the hard tires. Despite recent upgrades introduced in Austin, Red Bull has shown a pattern of strong qualifying performances but is falling behind in race pace.

According to the Red Bull Racing CEO, Verstappen struggled to optimize his tires during the race, particularly with a lack of grip, which prevented him from extracting the car's full potential. This tire management issue, Horner suggested, was a significant factor in the team’s underperformance.

Speaking about their pace where they have looked competitive in qualifying but not in the race, Horner said:

“I think that's the biggest thing that we need to take away from today is, on a more so on the hard tire, we just didn't have the same pace. Max just had no grip. He couldn't feel like he could switch the tires on. So that's the biggest challenge in the next four days is to understand what caused that. And obviously Brazil is a very different challenge to this circuit, but it's particularly at the end of the season.”

Verstappen extended his lead in the drivers’ championship to 52 points after the US GP, but following the Mexican GP, it has been reduced to 47 points. The reigning champion was handed a 20-second penalty, served during the race, which resulted in a sixth place finish. In the constructors’ championship, Red Bull has dropped to third, trailing McLaren by 54 points and Ferrari by 25 points. The Dutchman, a three-time champion, has not won a race since the Spanish GP in June, with his only consolation being the sprint race victory in Austin.