DAD'S YER LOT

Max's old man led way in Christian downfall

- DANIEL MOXON

THE timing of Christian Horner's Red Bull exit yesterday caught the Formula One world by surprise.

But the team had been in turmoil behind the scenes for close to 18 months and something had to give.

Powerful forces have been trying to oust Horner since the 'sexting' scandal that emerged last February.

Horner was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague, which he denied.

Red Bull chiefs in Austria surprised the race team by launching an investigation, including the hiring of an external KC lawyer, who interviewed Horner for hours and later cleared him of wrongdoing. But his opponents smelled blood, despite the team's domination on track.

"The higher you rise, the sharper the knives," Horner told Netflix cameras for their popular 'Drive to Survive' docu-drama.

And those knives were out. Among the sharpest was in the grasp of star driver Max Verstappen's father Jos.