Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, expressed unwavering confidence in Max Verstappen’s commitment to Red Bull, dismissing swirling rumors linking the driver to Mercedes.
The Formula 1 rumor mill kicked into high gear following the unexpected news of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in 2025, igniting what’s known as the ‘silly season’ prematurely.
Amidst the recent turbulence within Red Bull, speculation mounted suggesting Verstappen could step in to fill Hamilton’s shoes as the seven-time World Champion’s successor.
Following a surprising statement from Verstappen’s father, Jos, hinting at a potential exit from Red Bull under Horner’s leadership, speculation intensified, fueled by whispers of discord within the team.
The murmurs suggested Mercedes could capitalize on the perceived unrest and lure Verstappen away from Red Bull.
Although Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko refrained from outright refuting claims of discussions between Jos Verstappen and Toto Wolff, Horner remained resolute in his belief that Max Verstappen, bound by contract to Red Bull until 2028, will remain steadfast in his allegiance to the team.
When questioned by the media ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix about his confidence in Verstappen’s commitment to Red Bull, Horner responded emphatically: “I’m certain that he will.
“I mean, he’s got a great team around him, he’s got great faith in that team and we’ve achieved an awful lot together.
“He’s committed to an agreement until 2028. And from a team side, from Max’s side, we’re determined to build on the success that we’ve achieved already.
“Those 55 victories have all come in Red Bull cars, all of the podiums have come in Red Bull Racing cars, and we’re determined to build on that and add hopefully many more in the future.”
The outlook appears bright for Verstappen and Red Bull, especially after Verstappen guided the team to a commanding 1-2 finish at the Bahrain F1 2024 season opener.
However, despite this promising start, Christian Horner remains cautious and refrains from prematurely anticipating a third consecutive Constructors’ and Drivers’ title double.
He emphasizes the need to assess the performance of the RB20 across various circuits, with the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia looming as the next test.
When questioned about any standout features of the RB20, Horner replied: “I don’t think there’s any single attribute that stands out. I think it’s been an outstanding team performance.
“As you can see, it’s an aggressive evolution of RB19. We took a concept that was hugely successful in RB19, the most successful car of all time, but I think that you can see that the whole design team.
“The production side of the business, the supply chain, all aspects of the business have pushed the boundaries with this car to keep evolving it, to keep pushing it.
“There’s some great ingenuity on the car, but it’s only a sample of 24 races at a specific track. All the tracks vary quite a lot that are in the championship, so let’s see how the car performs at a completely different venue, at a street circuit like this.”
