Amidst the turbulence at Red Bull, Max Verstappen has assured that Christian Horner’s departure will not affect his future with the team.
Horner’s surprising departure, two weeks ago, dominated Verstappen’s press conference before the Belgian Grand Prix.
Horner, who had a tense relationship with Verstappen’s father, Jos, left the team at a time when the future of the four-time world champion with Red Bull has been uncertain.
Although he has a contract until 2028, Verstappen has been openly courted by Mercedes for a possible move before that date.
No, not really. Now, I think people can have a difference of opinion here and there. And in fact I hope that happens because if everyone always agrees, there’s a problem. You need to have different opinions. And yes, that’s something we’re now working on in a different direction. I’m excited about that.
Max Verstappen
Verstappen was asked if Horner’s departure would change his future decisions.
The driver stated that the most important thing is to work on the car to make it as fast as possible. He also mentioned that the last year and a half has not been as expected, but that they hope to be more competitive this year, especially with the new regulations.Max Verstappen es tercero en el campeonato en un momento turbulento en Red Bull. Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesVerstappen revealed that he found out about the news from Red Bull shareholders the day before it was made public.
Confirmed that he has spoken with Horner since then. “Yes, I did. It was great to talk to him. Time will tell [if it was right to fire him]”.
Verstappen added: “Looking back at those 20 years of Red Bull, I think we’ve had many great years, great results. There are also years when things don’t go so well. And I think the last year and a half hasn’t gone as we would have liked.”
According to sources, there is a release clause in the contract of the Dutch driver that could be activated if he finishes fourth or below in the championship after the Hungarian Grand Prix, on August 3rd.
Currently, Verstappen is in third place, with a 18-point lead over George Russell, from Mercedes.
If that clause isn’t activated, Mercedes would have to buy out his contract to have him in time for 2026, which would likely involve a significant cost, given that he has three and a half years left on his contract, with a reported value of 50 million dollars a year.
When asked if there was a possibility he wouldn’t race for Red Bull in 2026, Verstappen replied with a smile: “There’s also the possibility I don’t wake up tomorrow. So then there wouldn’t be a race at all. Life is unpredictable.”
Verstappen concluded that he is very happy with his current situation and that this remains the goal they set when signing the new contract: to race here until the end of his career.
Speculation soared on social media when Verstappen and Toto Wolff, Mercedes boss, met on vacation in Sardinia.
Verstappen dismissed the suggestions about it: “I was swimming in the ocean at that moment. I don’t know. I don’t really care about these things.”
The pilot concluded that he was on vacation with his friends and family, and that it is normal for them to coincide with other people on the same island.
