Clear words

Max Verstappen speaks out on transfer rumors

Max Verstappen has committed himself to Red Bull.(Bild: APA/AFP/Giuseppe CACACE)

Max Verstappen spoke out on Wednesday about his future at Red Bull due to the turmoil surrounding team boss Christian Horner. The world champion made a clear commitment to his team.

Despite persistent speculation about a change of team, the three-time Formula 1 champion committed himself to his racing team in Saudi Arabia. The high-speed circuit in Jeddah is one of the three tracks on which he did not win last season.

Christian Horner (left) and Max Verstappen(Bild: APA/AFP/Toshifumi KITAMURA)

"I know what they have done for me in my career. The intention is absolutely to stay with this team," said the Dutchman. Verstappen's contract with Red Bull runs until 2028. In the wake of the scandal surrounding race director Horner, who was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee, Verstappen's father Jos in particular distanced himself from the Briton.

"Son of my father"
Although Horner was exonerated by internal investigations, he came under renewed pressure in the affair due to emails sent anonymously. Jos Verstappen therefore called for Horner to step down and let it be known that his son Max was also aware of this opinion.

"I am my father's son. It would be strange if I were on a different side," said the triple champion. However, he said he wanted to concentrate on his performance and racing. "I'm enjoying it and I'm happy here. As long as we perform, there is no reason to leave," said Max Verstappen.

Tensions at Red Bull
The 26-year-old had won the opening race in Bahrain the previous week by a large margin. He was also unimpressed by the rumors of a switch to Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's successor. "You never know 100 percent what will happen in life. But I don't think too much about it either," said Verstappen.

According to various media reports, a rift has been running through the most successful Formula 1 team of the present day since the death of Dietrich Mateschitz. On the one side are the Verstappen family, chief advisor Helmut Marko and, according to reports, head of design Adrian Newey. According to the Bild newspaper, they are supported in Jeddah by Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff. On the other side is Horner, who can count on the support of the Thai Yoovidhya clan, which holds the majority of shares in Red Bull GmbH.