Red Bull boss Christian Horner has acknowledged the team’s Formula 1 rivals will be prepared to pounce on the chance to sign Max Verstappen should it drop the ball.
Verstappen cemented his undeniable status as an all-time F1 great in 2024 as he secured his fourth consecutive title with two races to go at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
But while he revelled in clinching another title, Verstappen is under no illusion that a sizeable Red Bull improvement will be essential to him retaining the crown in 2025.
Red Bull exploring the wrong development avenue with the RB20 triggered balance complications which derailed the squad’s dominant beginning to the past campaign.
Verstappen grew irritated as the problems worsened to the point where he branded the car a “monster” and conceded he was worried about his championship chances.
Red Bull’s on-track regression, coupled with the power struggle behind the scenes, led to rumours that Verstappen could depart amid growing interest from Mercedes.
Despite Verstappen claiming his threat to quit should Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko leave was genuine, Horner never questioned his driver’s commitment last season.
“His dedication has been unwavering,” Horner told Motorsport.com.
“He enjoys the people that he trusts and the people that he works with and enjoys very much being a part of this team.”
Interest in Verstappen is ‘inevitable’
Horner’s insistence that Verstappen will remain at Red Bull hasn’t stopped his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff from expressing his desire to acquire the Dutchman.
Horner has admitted the onus is on Red Bull to give Verstappen, who has a contract until 2028, no reason to court a move amid the expected intrigue in his situation.
“Of course, with the talent that he has, I’m sure he’s on every team principal’s Christmas wish list,” Horner added. “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.”
Verstappen hasn’t considered Aston move
Along with Mercedes, Aston Martin has been touted as a suitable destination in the circumstance where Verstappen grows agitated at Red Bull and opts to move on.
The Silverstone-based squad ended 2024 495 points behind Red Bull in fifth, but it is continuing to place mass attention on the impending rules reset arriving in 2026.
Aston Martin will have a works engine deal with Honda, which has powered Verstappen to all his titles, and ex-Red Bull guru Adrian Newey heading its technical team.
But when asked whether he had given consideration to the British-based outfit, he told Viaplay: “No, I haven’t talked about that at all either, just nothing at all.
“At the moment I haven’t thought about that at all.”
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