Zak Brown delivers savage swipe at axed Red Bull boss Christian Horner

Sacked Red Bull boss Christian Horner has been hit with a savage swipe after long-time rival Zak Brown delivered a parting shot.

McLaren boss Zak Brown has delivered a savage swipe to recently axed Red Bull supremo Christian Horner.

Horner was sensationally sacked after 20 years with the team, in a move that caught the Formula 1 paddock by surprise in early July.

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But one man wasn’t at all caught off guard by the axing with Brown saying the writing had been on the wall for his long-running rival.

Watch the McLaren boss’ blunt response in the video player above

“Maybe the timing, but not the result,” Brown told Canadian broadcaster TSN when asked whether he was surprised by the news.

“I think there’s been a lot of drama there the last couple years, and it doesn’t seem like that drama has been calming down. Maybe it’s been getting worse.”

Zak Brown (right) got one final shot in at his rival. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

The parting shot is just the latest chapter in the fiery feud between the two team bosses who have delivered barbs at one another over the years.

It all went up a notch last year when Brown voiced his displeasure with the FIA over Red Bull owning two teams on the grid.

Brown then took things up a notch in the wake of Horner’s sexting scandal as he called for the FIA to conduct an open inquiry into the allegations.

Horner was ultimately cleared of the allegations twice following a private independent investigation by Red Bull.

The rivalry however exploded after McLaren flipped the script and stole Red Bull’s mantle atop the F1 standings.

As the Woking-based team asserted their dominance on the grid, Red Bull raised questions over their rise to supremacy.

One of those questions raised in the latter stages of the 2024 season centred around the use of water being used inside of tyres to cool them down.

The theory was that McLaren had worked out a way to inject water into the tyres through valves which would then keep them cool throughout a race and limit degradation.

Despite the FIA conducting a probe into the accusations and finding no wrongdoings, Red Bull, and Horner, refused to let sleeping dogs lie.

Brown once again didn’t miss a chance to get a shot in at his rivals with a not-so-subtle jab during the Miami Grand Prix.

Zak Brown's not-so-subtle jab at Red Bull.

With Brown getting one more swipe in, things inside Red Bull’s garage could be set to go from bad to worse.

Horner predicted the team could be set to fall even further behind their rivals when new engine regulations come into play from 2026 onwards.

But that could just be the tip of the iceberg for the once dominant outfit with four-time champion Max Verstappen reportedly linked with a shift to join Mercedes.

Despite being contracted until the end of 2028, it was reported that Ola Kallenius, Mercedes’ chief executive, had given his tick of approval for the team to sign Verstappen.

Mercedes are being tipped as the early frontrunner for when the new regulations come into play next season which could also be one of the reasons behind a potential Verstappen switch.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has made it no secret he’s chasing Verstappen. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Verstappen has been at the centre of the rumour mill for a while now. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

It’s believed Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull contains a clause that could allow him to walk free at the end of the season.

The exit clause can reportedly be activated if Verstappen is lower than fourth in the Drivers’ Championship after the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3, according to Planet F1.

Verstappen is currently third on the drivers’ standings with 165 points, George Russell sits in fourth on 147 points.

With two races set to take place before the summer break, all eyes will be on the standings and where Verstappen sits.

The Formula 1 paddock will return to the grid with the Belgian Grand Prix set to get underway on Sunday, July 27 from 11pm (AEST).

Originally published as Zak Brown delivers savage swipe at axed Red Bull boss Christian Horner