Christian Horner has admitted that one of the major talking points of F1 2024 was “inevitable”—not Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull, but the efforts of rival team bosses to court the star driver.
By Red Bull’s high standards, 2024 was a challenging year. The team faced an investigation into Horner’s alleged behavior, although he was cleared of any wrongdoing. They also dealt with the departure of design legend Adrian Newey and saw rival teams making strides in closing the gap on them on track.
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull commitment was ‘unwavering’
Amidst constant speculation about his future, Max Verstappen faced almost daily questions about his next move, especially with Mercedes openly courting him and Aston Martin also expressing interest—despite Verstappen being under contract with Red Bull until 2028.
Toto Wolff spearheaded Mercedes’ pursuit of Verstappen as a potential replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. Reports emerged of meetings between Verstappen’s management and Mercedes in Monaco, with whispers of a “war chest” to lure him away from Red Bull.
Wolff described Verstappen as an “alternative scenario” for Mercedes’ driver line-up and acknowledged that while he would continue to monitor the market, the future of Verstappen at Red Bull remained uncertain. He even suggested that the chances of signing Verstappen weren’t “zero,” but more likely “10 to 1” or “nine to one.”
Ultimately, the odds were zero, with Verstappen affirming his commitment to Red Bull for 2025. Meanwhile, Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli to replace Hamilton. Despite the headlines, Horner always had confidence in Verstappen’s loyalty to Red Bull and never doubted that he would stay with the team in 2025.
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“Max has always been crystal clear with the team,” Horner told Motorsport.com. “His commitment has been unwavering. He enjoys working with the people he trusts and values being a part of this team.”
“Of course, with the talent he has, I’m sure he’s on every team principal’s Christmas wish list. That’s inevitable.”
“But, as long as we can continue to provide him with a competitive car and an environment that he enjoys racing in, I don’t see any desire for him to be anywhere else.”
However, while Verstappen’s commitment to Red Bull was unwavering, there was a caveat according to the Dutchman—Helmut Marko.
Last year, it was reported that Verstappen’s future with Red Bull was tied to Marko’s, and if the Austrian left—whether by choice or being pushed out—Verstappen could also walk away.
“For me, Helmut is a very key factor in that, and he has to stay for me, for sure,” Verstappen told Sky F1 at the time. “I’ve always said that to the team, they know that.”
The 27-year-old recently told De Telegraaf that “it wasn’t a bluff, and they know that within the team too.”
Horner was asked about this and downplayed the threat, emphasizing that Marko isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“Well, Helmut hasn’t left and isn’t leaving, so I think Max recognizes the value of the team, and that’s really, again, what he’s nurtured during this period,” the team principal explained.
“When the car isn’t delivering as you hope, your pitstops have to be strong, the strategy has to be good, your reliability has to be there, and you’ve got to make the right decisions at the right moments.”
