Horner: Verstappen's commitment to Red Bull was never in doubt

Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner has insisted Max Verstappen's commitment to the squad has never been in doubt despite rumours of a split last season.

The Dutchman, who has won four drivers' championships with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, fielded questions about his future at numerous stages last term after turmoil within Red Bull, a car that faced a number of issues mid-season and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff's courting of him in the wake of Lewis Hamilton's switch to Ferrari for the upcoming campaign.

Red Bull has a contract with Verstappen through to the end of 2028 and asked whether any of the speculation around his future would persist into the new year, Horner told Motorsport.com: "Max has always been crystal clear with the team.

"His commitment has been unwavering. He enjoys. the people that he trusts and the people that he works with and enjoys very much being a part of this team.

"Of course, with the talent that he has, I'm sure he's on every team principal’s Christmas wish list. 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."

Pointed towards comments from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix where Verstappen said he would leave if motorsport advisor Helmut Marko did, Horner replied: "Well, Helmut hasn’t left and isn’t leaving, so I think that Max is… he recognises the value of team and that's really, again, what he's nurtured during this period.

"When the car isn't delivering as you hope, your pitstops have got to be strong, the strategy has gotta be good, your reliabilities gotta be there, you've gotta be making the right decisions at the right moments."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, in the post Qualifying Press Conference

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

The turmoil Red Bull faced came after pre-season allegations made against Horner over behaviour toward a female employee, which was followed by weeks of speculation over his own future within the team as a power struggle became apparent.

At one point, it seemed Marko was on his way out the door before that potential was shut down, while Verstappen's father Jos added further fuel to the flames by suggesting the team would implode should Horner remain at the helm.

On how difficult that period was to manage, Horner explained: "The thing is, as soon as you step across that red line into the garage, you leave behind all the noise from the paddock. And as soon as you went across that red line everything is business as normal."

Horner was cleared of wrongdoing in the investigation launched by Red Bull over his behaviour and asked if he has altered his approach to managing the team in the wake of the saga, he said: "My role remains unchanged. In that there’s an awful lot… I wear many hats with [being] trackside, I'm the team principal of a high-performing sports team and from Monday to Friday, I'm the CEO of three technology businesses on chassis, engine and advanced technology.

"So, nothing has changed, business as normal."