Red Bull boss Christian Horner has branded the rumoured £1 billion amount that Aston Martin is using to lure Max Verstappen to the team in Formula 1 as “eye-watering”.
Verstappen is endeavouring to win a fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship in the upcoming season with Red Bull, a group that he has been attached to since 2014.
However, that hasn’t stopped persistent speculation in recent times that he could be enticed to leave amid the upheaval that’s occurred at Red Bull in the past 12 months.
The turmoil behind the scenes that derived from an internal investigation into Horner’s conduct preceded numerous long-serving, senior figures deciding to depart the team.
That coincided with a dramatic decline in competitiveness which even threatened Verstappen’s title hopes as Red Bull dropped to third in the Constructors’ Championship.
But while Mercedes has shown an open interest in Verstappen, a report last month claimed Aston Martin had told prospective sponsors that it was launching its own bid.
Horner, though, reiterated that Verstappen, who has a contract until 2028, is content at Red Bull, provided that he continues to be delivered a competitive enough package.
“I know you guys have all got column inches to fill over a winter period, but a billion dollars, it would be an eye-wateringly large amount of money,” Horner told media including Motorsport Week at the F1 75 season launch event in London.
“I think Max is very happy in the environment that he’s in.
“He’s grown up in the team, he has a great relationship with the team and the engineers and the technicians and everybody that he works with.
“It’s down to us to provide a competitive car and continue to give him the platform to be able to achieve the results that he has over the last almost 10 years.”
Horner wouldn’t be drawn on whether Aston Martin could sanction that expenditure on a single individual, though he insisted that Red Bull is well-placed to match rival offers.
“I can’t comment on other team’s finances, but Red Bull are relatively well-positioned compared to others within the pit lane,” he addressed.
Verstappen opens up on Aston Martin contact
Verstappen divulged that there has been contact with the British marque, but regarding his own prospective sports car team rather than a potential switch in F1.
Asked about the purported bid, Verstappen said: “The only contact that I had with them was about GT3 for this year. That’s it.
“There’s not much to say really because there isn’t anything.
He added: “It’s not me personally driving but I’m starting my own team for this year with the drivers so of course some things seem to be in place.”
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