Red Bull will not "force" Verstappen to stay if he wants out
Red Bull Racing boss praises Max Verstappen as the best driver in Formula 1 amid speculation about his future with the team.
- Bilawal Riaz
- 2 min read
Max Verstappen is the best driver in Formula 1 at the moment, according to Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner.
Horner’s comments come amid ongoing uncertainty over Verstappen’s future with the team. Despite having a contract that runs until 2028, recent events within Red Bull have led to suggestions that he could leave for another team.
However, Horner believes that Verstappen is committed to staying at Red Bull as long as Helmut Marko remains as the team’s motorsport advisor. Marko has been a key figure in Verstappen’s career, having brought him into the Red Bull junior programme when he was just 16 years old.
“It’s like anything in life: you can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper,” said Horner. “If somebody didn’t want to be at this team, then we’re not going to force somebody, against their will, to be here.”
Red Bull Racing has been one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 over the past few years, with Verstappen winning the drivers’ championship in both 2021 and 2022. However, recent events within the team have led to a power struggle at the top, with rumours suggesting that Marko could be forced out.
Verstappen has made it clear that he would not want to stay at Red Bull if Marko were to leave, and his father Jos has even publicly called for Horner to be dismissed in order to avoid the team tearing itself apart. Despite this, Horner remains confident that Verstappen will continue to race with the team.
“We are a team,” said Horner. “Max has achieved his 56th grand prix victory today and his 100th podium, all of which have been in Red Bull Racing cars.”