Horner reveals Red Bull's 'radical' set up ideas during FP1 in Saudi Arabia

Christian Horner has addressed Max Verstappen’s team radio messages during the first free practice session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Verstappen wrapped up the session in P9, just ahead of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda in P10. It was a tough outing for the Dutch driver, who repeatedly voiced his frustration over the radio. He reported issues with the steering and complained that the car's balance didn’t feel quite right.

According to the Red Bull team boss, those problems could be explained. "So that session was all about trying, going a little radical on some of the setup. So we got plenty to look at. We ran the cars slightly differently as well, so we've got that information now to digest before the second session," Horner explained after FP1 to Sky Sports.

Red Bull losing time to their rivals

During FP1, Verstappen reported over team radio that he was having trouble steering his RB21. When asked to clarify what the issue was, team principal Christian Horner explained: "I think he drops about 0.3 to 0.4 of a second to that one I saw was to Lando.

"And then the rest of the lap, it's about a tenth and a bit. But, just getting that bite, the tyres, the brakes into that window. Obviously plenty to have a look at to get it switched on for when you start the lap," the Red Bull team boss concluded.

Horner also responded to rumours swirling around the Red Bull camp after FP1. Still in conversation with Sky, the Red Bull Racing team principal was asked if he was confident that Max Verstappen would stay with the team in 2026, to which he stated that he has full faith the Dutchman will remain with the Milton Keynes based team.

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This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel