Brundle reveals private Horner message on Red Bull post Monza win

14:55, 08 Sep

byNorberto Mujica

Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen surprised freidn and foe alike with a dominant outing at the Italian Grand Prix. Among the surprised crowd, one name stood out: Christian Horner.

At the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Verstappen, after a bold set-up change that saw him strip his RB21 of further downforce, was able to take pole on Saturday afternoon, which was followed up by a dominant win with a 19 second plues lead over his closest pursuer, Lando Norris.

The unexpected turnaround caught everyone by surprise, including Mercedes driver George Russell, who claimed he was unable to understand the trends that marked the 2025 season.

Brundle discloses Horner's message on live TV

Martin Brundle, during Sky Sports F1 broadcast on race day revealed that former Red Bull team principal had also been surprised by the outcome of the race, praising his former team for a job well done at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

Verstappen sips victory champagne at Monza

“A message from Christian Horner here actually,” said Brundle. “Saying: ‘This was our worst race last year. We had the wrong downforce level,’ and how hard the team have worked on that package and done a great job. Of course, they’ve turned it around.”

RB21 not a 'monster' like the RB20 in Monza

The 2024 edition of the Italian Grand Prix marked a low-point in Red Bull's decreasing performance level.

Struggling with balance issues couple with unpredictability, nervousness and tyre overheating, Verstappen bluntly affirmed to GPblog at the time that Red Bull had taken the most dominant car in history and turned it into a 'monster.'

However, from Friday, following the first two practice sessions of the weekend, the Dutchman spoke positively of his feeling aboard the Red Bull drive stating he was 'happy with the car', and dismissing any 'monster' claims when asked about the parallels to the previous season's Italian GP race weekend.