Max Verstappen claims that the F1 paddock has been a little less stressful since his former boss was fired.

Horner, who was fired shortly after last year's British Grand Prix, has been looking to return to the sport ever since, initially in terms of buying a stake in an existing team, though he recently admitted it would be a dream to be on the payroll at Ferrari.

The Ferrari claim was like a grenade being thrown into the Italian team at a time the media was already on Fred Vasseur's back, and such was the potential for damage that the Maranello outfit had to issue a denial.

Fact is, Horner has always been a controversial figure and to all intents and purposes he revelled in his 'Marmite' reputation.

However, speaking in the aftermath of his first victory with a Red Bull power unit, Verstappen, whose four titles came under Horner's leadership, admits the Briton's absence has left the paddock a little less stressful.

"To be honest, I like to see that people get on," the Dutchman tells the Press Association. "It is not nice when you constantly have tension between people.

"Of course, from the outside, people like it, but honestly between the teams, it is better when you have just a friendly relationship," he continues. "It is not as spicy, but I obviously quite like how things are going at the moment, with everyone's behaviour, let's put it like that.

"It is less stressful," he adds. "We are all leading a stressful life and, when you can take a bit of stress out of it at times, it is good.

"He has shown he did a good job," he says of his former boss. "Of course, people spread a lot of rumours, and I don't know how much of that is true. I don't want to sound rude, but it is also not my problem or concern. He wants to come back, and if there is a good opportunity, I am sure he will do it, but I don't know where that is going to be."

One person who didn't hide his glee at Horner's sacking was Helmut Marko, though the Austrian was also subsequently shown the door by the Milton Keynes based outfit.

Incensed by the claim in Horner's book that he was reluctant to sign the young Verstappen, the man behind Red Bull's legendary young driver programme has hit out.

"I'm ignoring it as much as possible," he tells Austria's oe24, before adding: "Ralf Schumacher handled it very well."

"Marko approached Max when he was just 11 and a half years old," said the driver turned pundit Schumacher recently. "At the time, Jos said it was still too early for him. The doctor, as you know him, was a bit miffed and said: 'Okay, if you don't want to, then so be it.'"

"It worked out well the way it did," says Marko. "Max was successful in karting back then, and we had no idea about that. Later in Formula 3, we grew closer again, and that's how this unprecedented success story came about.

"I brought Max into Formula 1 and had to do it against Horner in his first race for Red Bull in Barcelona," insists the Austrian. "He thought Max was too young, too inexperienced."

Of course, the Dutch youngster won, thus becoming the youngest race winner in the history of the sport.

While we may never know the truth, while we may not even care, the latest spat - and there is genuine history between the pair - shows that Horner is still more than capable of stirring the shit with the best of them.