SILVERSTONE – Christian Horner, the head of the Red Bull racing team, stated that the team must mentally prepare for the possibility of life without Max Verstappen, whether his departure happens next year or later in the current decade.
Speculation surrounding Verstappen`s future has been a major topic in Formula 1 news for several weeks now.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has openly expressed his strong interest in signing the Dutch driver, who has a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for the following year if he is not ranked within the top three in the championship standings by the August summer break.
Currently, Verstappen sits in third place, holding a narrow nine-point lead over Mercedes driver George Russell. Russell`s contract extension discussions with Mercedes are reportedly on hold while Verstappen`s situation remains uncertain.
Speaking on Friday before the British Grand Prix, Horner dismissed the ongoing discussions as “noise,” reiterating: “Everyone within the team is very clear about our position. Max began his entire racing career with Red Bull. All of his success has been achieved driving Red Bull Racing cars. He is a vital component of our team. He has significant trust in the team and the people working around him.”
“I believe we all feel quite comfortable with our current situation and what the circumstances are. You cannot control the narrative spread by others, but internally, we understand exactly where we stand.”
However, Horner offered an interesting perspective on his current thinking, suggesting he has considered a future for the team without the four-time world champion.
“Max is a crucial member of our team, and has been for nearly a decade now. The intention is to continue this partnership,” Horner said. “But eventually, whether it`s in one year or more, there will come a day when Max is no longer with Red Bull.”
“You must always keep that possibility in mind; the team constantly needs to look ahead and invest in the future. So, hopefully, that day is still several years away, but you can never be certain. We are always investing in promising young talent. We are always providing opportunities, as we did today with Arvid Lindblad [who drove in first practice in place of Yuki Tsunoda], to evaluate the next generation of drivers emerging. Because one truth in this sport is that nothing ever stays the same.”
Verstappen`s current contract with Red Bull extends through the end of 2028. However, on Thursday, he avoided several chances to definitively state whether he would still be with the team next year, remaining generally reserved on the topic of his future.
Russell, for his part, has maintained his confidence that he will secure an extension with Mercedes and has repeatedly stated he has not engaged in discussions with any other teams regarding the next season.
When questioned if Russell might be a contingency plan for Red Bull should Verstappen depart, Horner responded: “It is quite notable that George`s future is still undecided on the market. We have not had any discussions with George, so he appears quite certain that he will stay where he is. However, look, we have significant depth and talent within our team and within the Red Bull driver program, including the Racing Bulls team and drivers like Arvid Lindblad.”
“The year 2026 is set to bring a huge transformation. It marks the biggest rule change for Formula 1, and nobody can confidently predict the competitive order. Therefore, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding 2026, and we won`t have a clear understanding of the pecking order until this time next year. There are no guarantees that moving into a Mercedes car would automatically be a superior option.”
These upcoming rule changes in 2026, affecting both aerodynamics and engines, are contributing to the uncertainty surrounding Verstappen`s situation.
In simpler terms, every team is embarking on a completely new project, making it impossible to forecast the hierarchy at this stage.
Red Bull is concluding its successful partnership with Honda and will begin manufacturing its own engines at its facility in Milton Keynes.
Honda will transition to Aston Martin, a team strengthened by the arrival of former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, while many within the paddock anticipate Mercedes will possess the strongest engine next season.
That engine strength alone does not assure success – Mercedes is currently trailing behind its own engine customer team, McLaren, who comfortably lead both championships.
Red Bull might feel a sense of déjà vu about potentially losing a four-time world champion. In 2015, Sebastian Vettel left for Ferrari after struggling in 2014 to match the performance that had brought him four consecutive championships.
While Horner acknowledged the parallels, he emphasized Red Bull`s confidence that its new engine project will eventually become highly competitive, even if immediate success isn`t guaranteed.
“Sebastian left after there was a substantial change in regulations. In 2014, the Mercedes engine vastly outperformed everyone else. He received a very attractive offer from Ferrari and decided that was the right direction for his future. I recall [Red Bull founder] Dietrich Mateschitz telling me at that time that we didn`t need the best driver if we didn`t have the best car at that specific point.”
“It`s fundamentally about building a strong team… Sport operates in cycles. We have experienced two incredibly successful periods in Formula 1, and our objective is to build towards the next successful cycle. Naturally, we hope this will be with Max, but we understand the pressure that comes next year as we debut as a new power unit manufacturer; the challenge involved is immense. However, we have an extremely capable group of individuals.”
“We have made significant investments. We have a strong culture within the team. And, who knows? To expect us to be ahead of Mercedes next year would be quite embarrassing for Mercedes or any other established manufacturer if we were. But I do think we will be in a competitive position, potentially even relative to where we stand today compared to other power unit manufacturers.”
“I believe everything is still to be decided. What is highly beneficial is having everything under one roof, with the chassis engineers working alongside the power unit engineers. This synergy should not be underestimated, especially regarding packaging. Having those groups communicating and interacting directly, whether over coffee or simply within the same facility, is invaluable, and it will certainly yield benefits.”
“Perhaps not immediately in 2026, but certainly in 2027, 2028, and beyond. For Red Bull in the long term, establishing our own power unit division is absolutely the correct path.”
