Christian Horner Confident Max Verstappen Will Stay at Red Bull Despite Mercedes Interest

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has firmly dismissed rumors surrounding Max Verstappen’s potential switch to Mercedes, stating that the team "haven’t suddenly become idiots overnight." Amid growing speculation about the reigning world champion’s future, Horner remains confident that Verstappen will stay with Red Bull.

Verstappen, who has secured four consecutive Drivers’ Championships, is facing a challenging season as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris dominate the standings. Despite being contracted to Red Bull until 2028, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff recently confirmed ongoing "conversations" about signing the Dutch driver.

Horner addressed the speculation following Verstappen’s unfortunate retirement at the Austrian Grand Prix, where the 27-year-old was involved in a first-lap collision with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. "I still believe that we have strength in depth in this team," Horner said. "We’re at the end of a set of regulations, and we’re compromised by some of the tools we have. But the same group of people designed a car that won nearly every race 18 months ago. They didn’t suddenly become idiots overnight."

He also acknowledged McLaren’s impressive performance this season, stating, "You have to acknowledge the great job that McLaren are doing, and congratulations to them."

Mercedes’ interest in Verstappen has been a recurring topic, especially after Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for 2025. George Russell, Mercedes’ current driver, recently suggested that his contract extension is being delayed as the team evaluates its options, including the possibility of signing Verstappen. However, Horner downplayed Mercedes’ pursuit, noting their own struggles on the track. "They were 62 seconds behind the race leader today," he said. "For us, we just focus on ourselves. We know what the situation is with Max, and the rest is all noise."

Horner also addressed the performance gap between Verstappen and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who finished last among the cars that completed the race. "Yuki had a horrible race," he admitted. "We’ll look to see how we can support him and rebuild his confidence in Silverstone."

With Verstappen now 61 points behind in the championship, his chances of a fifth consecutive title appear slim. The Dutchman himself has acknowledged the difficulty of the fight, saying, "Hopefully, people will not mention it too much anymore."

As the Formula 1 season continues, all eyes will be on Red Bull and Verstappen to see if they can turn their fortunes around in the upcoming British Grand Prix.