Formula 1: Verstappen has “no reason” to leave Red Bull

Triple Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has “no reason” to leave Red Bull, despite the standoff between his father and team boss Christian Horner, he declared on Wednesday. Jeddah before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“I am happy in the team. As long as we are performing well, I will have no reason to leave,” explained the Dutchman, who clarified that honoring his contract which expires at the end of 2028, “has always been his intention”, while rumors send him to Mercedes, which will have a seat available in 2025 after the unexpected departure of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari.

Red Bull, which has been crushing the competition for two years with 21 victories in 22 races last season, is shaken by an internal war which broke out at the beginning of February. Although he was cleared by an internal investigation of accusations of “inappropriate behavior” made against him by an employee, Christian Horner, the director of the Austrian team, remains contested. Just a few hours after his son's triumph on Saturday at the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain, Jos Verstappen threw a wrench into the pond by attacking the emblematic boss of the Red Bull team.

“There is tension (in the team) as long as he remains in place. The team risks tearing itself apart. She can't continue like this. It’s going to explode,” the former Dutch F1 driver told the British daily Daily Mail on Saturday.

“Mad” Max therefore unwittingly finds himself at the heart of a conflict which could leave its mark on the team based in Milton Keynes, even if he says the opposite. “The important thing for me is to stay out of it. In Bahrain this did not affect the team's performance. Ideally, a team prefers not to have to go through such moments, but I remain focused on my job, which is to perform well on the track,” assured the three-time reigning world champion in front of a crowd of journalists gathered in the paddock. from Jeddah. When asked if he shared his father's opinion and if he could continue to live with Christian Horner in the same team, Max Verstappen responded half-heartedly.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re on one side or the other. As my father's son, it would be weird not to be on his side... but I'm focused on performing. What I want is to have a peaceful working environment, no matter who is on the team,” he explained.

Winner of the first race of the season ahead of his teammate Sergio Pérez last Saturday in Bahrain, Verstappen will aim for new success this weekend on the Jeddah urban circuit.