Red Bull boss Christian Horner has taken a dig at Mercedes over its dip at Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix amid Toto Wolff’s ongoing public courting of Max Verstappen.
Wolff has made clear his desire to bring Verstappen to Mercedes, and that took another turn last weekend as he disclosed talks were held with his camp this summer.
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, but his place within the team has come under speculation amid the tension that has been prevalent since pre-season.
The Dutchman admitted that he retains a good relationship with Wolff, as he also denied that the Austrian should put an end to his continued comments in the media.
However, Horner has repeated that he is not concerned about Verstappen departing the team, despite Wolff’s claim that Mercedes’ path will cross with the Dutchman.
“I find it surprising how much discussion in the open media there is about this topic,” Wolff told media including Motorsport Week.
“The situation was always clear between ourselves and Max and I think others can talk, but we’re comfortable with where we’re at.”
Rumours persisting about Verstappen’s long-term prospects have arrived at a time when Red Bull has been dislodged as F1’s benchmark amid McLaren’s resurgence.
But while Mercedes also looked to have stolen a march on Red Bull with two wins in three races before the break, the marque ended seventh and eighth at Zandvoort.
Horner leapt on the chance to take aim at his long-time counterpart and rival, as George Russell in the lead Mercedes lagged 21.7 seconds behind Verstappen’s RB20.
Asked whether he was worried Red Bull’s plight could impact Verstappen’s future, Horner answered: “Well, it’s down to us to deliver. We have an agreement until 2028.
“So it’s down to us to deliver. I didn’t see Toto’s car performing that well today.”
Horner has admitted the emphasis is on Red Bull to get back on track and provide Verstappen with the car to return to winning races to ensure he remains at the side.
The Briton, 50, has suggested that the three-time F1 champion’s long-term contract does comprise exit clauses that are related to Red Bull’s on-track competitiveness.
“Look, ’28 is a long way away,” he responded when pressed on Verstappen’s contract. “It’s down to us to provide a race-winning car. Will you be here in ’28?
“You know. 2025… every contract has a performance element in it.
“We’re not going to talk about what those elements are, but as long as we provide a competitive car, we know what the situation is.”
