Verstappen turns the page
Max Verstappen to the microphones of the official website of F1 and to those of Sky Sports UK he has already largely taken on the role of the firefighter in relation to the Horner case which has troubled Red Bull in recent months, but it is during a conference with the printed press and online media that he has definitively put an end to weeks of speculation.
“As far as I know the Horner case has been handled the right way so far – the words of Max Verstappen reported by the newspaper motorsport-total.com – it is important to keep the key figures of a team together because it is from them that the performance comes. Who are these key figures? I won't name names.” Clear words from Verstappen aimed at putting an end to weeks of speculation also on his future which will be at Red Bull at least until 2028. “I don't know what will happen after 2028. If I stay in Formula 1, if I continue, if I sign a new contract – added the three-time world champion – it would be a great story, even for me personally, to stay until the end. It would mean I was part of a family and a team.”
Verstappen underlined the concept of family, a reality in which one can sometimes disagree: “I have always felt at ease here at Red Bull. For me it's like a second family. In a family there are sometimes, so to speak, differences of opinion. But you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends. We are focused on performance, everyone's main interest is to demonstrate our potential.”
Regarding the fact that the fear that the Red Bull power unit may not prove to be competitive may be driving him to Mercedes in 2026, Verstappen responded as follows: “If I had to worry about every speculation I would also have to worry about whether I would still be alive tomorrow. I talk to Horner and the people who work in the power unit department there is no reason to panic, we are not yet in 2026. We are competing with established engine manufacturers and it will not be easy to beat them. But there are a lot of very good people working on the project”. Still regarding a potential future at Mercedes, Verstappen underlined that some wounds from the past are difficult to forget, even if he underlines that in any case the relationship with Toto Wolff has never irremediably broken down: “Toto and I have had our difficult moments. It's normal when two teams fight for the World Cup. But the respect has always been there.”
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