Max Verstappen has made it clear he has "no reason" to leave Red Bull, despite the recent controversy surrounding team principal Christian Horner and the outspoken criticism from his father, Jos Verstappen.
Verstappen’s father called for Horner's removal, raising concerns about the team's stability and potentially jeopardizing his son’s future.
Since, speculation has run rampant, suggesting Verstappen’s management might be exploring options outside Red Bull, with Mercedes potentially interested in the reigning world champion as Lewis Hamilton's successor.
However, ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabian GP, Verstappen distanced himself from the internal politics swirling inside his team and emphasized his commitment to Red Bull, acknowledging his long-term contract that runs until the end of 2028.
“That has, of course, always been the intention of signing. That’s why we signed so long to be here,” he said when asked if he would see out the full length of his contract.
“And of course, it's about the performance of the car and from 2026 onwards, that is a bit of a question mark with new regulations.
“But I knew that, when I signed my contract, I also know what they have done for me in my career, right? So yeah, the intention is, of course, absolutely, to stay with this team, because I really enjoy it.
“And I'm also really happy within the team. So as long as we perform there is no reason also to leave.”
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Despite his steadfast commitment to Red Bull, Verstappen recognized that life in Formula 1 and unforeseen circumstances can throw a driver an unexpected opportunity, a hint by the Dutchman that a move to Mercedes is not entirely impossible.
“I think no one would have ever realised or seen that Lewis would move to Ferrari,” he said.
“In life in general, you never know what happens or what comes to you, or whatever happens around you, or what might influence you.
“So you can never say 100%, that's how it's going to be. I approach my life like that.
“But I also don't think about it too much. I'm very relaxed. Like I said, I'm very happy with the team. The performance is there. There's no reason to leave.”
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Regarding his father’s scathing criticism of Horner last weekend in Bahrain and his claim that the Briton’s enduring presence at the helm could risk tearing the team apart, Verstappen felt that Red Bull’s cohesive strength should prevent such a disastrous outcome.
“It's a strong company, strong team. A lot of strong team members,” he said.
“We're a team: it's me, my dad and Raymond [Vermeulen, his manager] all together. That will always be like that, also.
“I guess he [Jos] could have felt like that but I think from my side, it doesn't matter being on one side or the other side.
“Of course, as a son of my dad, it would be weird to be on a different side. But from my side, I just want to focus on the performance side of things.
“I just want to have less talk of what we are doing as a team outside of the track, rather than the actual performance.”
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