Max Verstappen Responds to Christian Horner Exit Rumours

Max Verstappen has dismissed a report suggesting Christian Horner's job as Red Bull team principal is on the line, depending on the performance of the team's Imola upgrades.

A report claimed Horner might lose the support of the Thai shareholding if the upgrades don't significantly improve their competitiveness. However, sources close to the situation reportedly denied this speculation, stating a short-term dip in performance is not a concern for the shareholders.

Horner, who has been team principal since 2005, has a contract running until the end of the 2030 season.

Verstappen expressed his confusion regarding the origin of these rumours.

"Honestly, I have no idea where they come from, to be honest," he told Sky Italia. "Naturally, I don’t really follow a lot of that. So, people ask me questions about that, and I’m like, ‘honestly, I really don’t know who even puts that in the world.’"

He added that while the team isn't entirely happy with current performance, they are focused on improving the car and closing the gap to competitors like McLaren.

"Of course, I think naturally, as a team, we are not entirely happy with how we are performing, but we’re also working on trying to be more competitive... For me, these rumours don’t mean anything."

Verstappen emphasized the team's focus remains on performance and upgrades.

"We just focus on the performance. Where these rumours come from, I have no idea... We want to improve the car, and that’s what everyone in the team is focused on."

Despite ongoing rumours linking Verstappen himself to other teams, he reiterated his intention to stay with Red Bull until his contract ends in 2028, highlighting the significance of seeing out his career with one team.