Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner has commented on rumours Max Verstappen could switch to Aston Martin.
Verstappen won his fourth consecutive driver’s title last season against a backdrop of internal team issues.
Turbulence within Red Bull saw several high profile departures including design guru Adrian Newey, and Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley.
The RB20 also saw a significant performance drop-off in the second half of the season. This occurred as rival car development caught up.
Although the Dutchman is locked into a contract until the end of 2028, rumours continue to circulate he could depart Red Bull in 2026.
Aston Martin is the top contender for Verstappen’s signature, with a potential billion pounds on offer for the reigning world champion.
Christian Horner dismisses Aston Martin offer
Speaking at the F1 75 launch event, Horner indicated his belief that the offer was excessive. He reaffirmed that Verstappen was happy at Red Bull.
“I know you guys [the media] have all got column inches to fill over a winter period, but a billion-pound driver, a billion dollars, it would be an eye-wateringly large amount of money,” said Horner.
“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, the engineers, 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.”
When asked if Red Bull could match the potential record-breaking salary offer, Horner responded coyly.
“I can’t comment on other teams’ finances, but Red Bull are relatively well-positioned, I would think, compared to others within the pit lane.”
MaxVerstappen plays down exit rumours
The reigning world champion told journalists, “It’s a lot of money” before stating his only other contract is with GT3.
“Honestly, when I read that, it’s the first time that I saw something like that. 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.”
“It’s not me personally driving, but I’m starting my own team for this year with the drivers, so, of course, some things need to be in place.”
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool/Zak Mauger/Getty Images
