Max Verstappen lets slip whether he wants Christian Horner to stay at Red Bull

Max Verstappen’s father Jos and the Dutchman’s close ally Helmut Marko want Christian Horner removed as Red Bull team principal, but the triple world champion seems to have a different view

Max Verstappen strongly hinted that he wants Christian Horner to stay in charge of Red Bull as he called for “key players” within the team to stick together.

Horner is under pressure from senior officials who are calling for his resignation. Significantly, Verstappen’s father Jos publicly called for the Englishman to be replaced, and long-time team advisor Helmut Marko also got into a heated argument with Verstappen. Verstappen has made it clear that he wants his close ally Marko to stay, and just two weeks ago threatened to leave the team if the 80-year-old leaves. As for his opinion on Horner’s position, the Dutchman avoids making any public statements that could restrict him. But speaking to reporters in Melbourne on Thursday, he suggested he opposed any major changes to management. “It’s very important to keep key players in the team for a long time, because that’s what performance is about, and if I wasn’t performing well, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” he said. . “It’s a second family to me, and sometimes there are disagreements within the family. You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Many people have contributed to the success of this team since the beginning, and that should be respected. “It’s important that they are together, happy and in the same role. But we only focus on performance. I would like to talk about this wonderful car that we own. I hope it happens slowly. ”

There’s been a lot of talk about Verstappen’s future, especially after the news that Verstappen might want to leave once Marko walks through the exit door. Given that Lewis Hamilton is set to leave his current seat to join Ferrari at the end of this year, Mercedes has been suggested as a likely destination in such a scenario.

Verstappen said he understands why Wolff wants to “keep” his signature. However, the 26-year-old is under contract with the team through the end of 2028 and announced his intention to honor that contract on Thursday.

he said: “It’s always nice to hear that. Toto and I had a great time. It’s normal for two teams to compete for a championship, but there was always respect. “For me, nothing will change. I don’t know what will happen after 2028, whether I will remain in F1, whether I will continue or whether I will sign a new contract (with Red Bull). But that’s why I signed the contract in the first place. I’m happy with the team and plan to stay here for the long term.”