Horner Reveals FIA Fury Over Max and Jos Verstappen’s 2017 Controversy
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that then-FIA president Jean Todt summoned him to Paris following furious criticism from Jos Verstappen over Max Verstappen’s controversial penalty at the 2017 United States Grand Prix.
Christian Horner has revealed that former FIA president Jean Todt was furious with Max Verstappen and his father Jos following the controversial conclusion to the 2017 United States Grand Prix, demanding that the Red Bull team principal personally explain the situation.
The incident, detailed in Horner’s forthcoming biography Drive, arose after Verstappen was stripped of a podium finish at the Circuit of the Americas.
The Dutch driver had produced an impressive recovery drive to cross the finish line in third place, only to receive a time penalty that dropped him to fourth.
The decision sparked an angry reaction from the Verstappen family, particularly Jos, whose public criticism of the governing body reportedly infuriated Todt.
Jos Verstappen’s FIA criticism triggered the confrontation
Following the race, Jos Verstappen took to social media to express his frustration with the stewards’ decision.
He openly criticised the FIA, posting “Shame on you FIA” and referring to the governing body as “Ferrari International Assistance”, suggesting that its decisions favoured the Italian manufacturer.
According to Horner, those remarks prompted a strong response from Todt, who was serving as FIA president at the time.
In extracts from Drive, scheduled for publication on 22 October and reported by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Horner recalls being summoned to Paris to discuss the controversy.
“Jean Todt was furious and wanted me to come to Paris,” Horner writes, according to the published account.
“I had never seen him so angry. He made it clear to me that both Max and his father needed to be brought into line.”
The confrontation highlighted the tensions between Formula 1’s governing body and the Verstappen camp following one of the most contentious stewarding decisions of the 2017 season.
Horner had publicly defended Verstappen’s penalty protest
Despite being called to account by Todt, Horner had initially supported his driver following the United States Grand Prix.
The then-Red Bull team principal believed Verstappen’s penalty was excessively harsh and disagreed with the stewards’ decision to remove him from the podium positions.
However, his public defence of the Dutchman did not prevent the FIA president from demanding an explanation for the subsequent controversy.
Horner’s account suggests that Todt was particularly concerned by the comments made by both Verstappens and wanted Red Bull to address their conduct.
The episode placed Horner in a difficult position, balancing his responsibility to defend his driver with the expectations of Formula 1’s governing body.
New biography revisits a turbulent Red Bull episode
The revelations form part of Horner’s new biography Drive, which revisits key moments from his career in Formula 1.
Although the book describes Todt’s anger and Horner’s summons to Paris, the precise date of their meeting has not been disclosed.
Further details of their discussion also remain unknown.
There has been no publicly reported confirmation or response from Todt, the FIA or the Verstappen family regarding Horner’s description of the encounter.
Nevertheless, the account offers a new perspective on the fallout from the 2017 United States Grand Prix and the tensions that followed Verstappen’s controversial loss of a podium finish.
Nearly a decade later, Horner’s recollection illustrates how a single stewarding decision developed into a dispute involving Red Bull, the Verstappen family and the highest levels of motorsport’s governing body.
