The 2024 season was marked by the Christian Horner scandal at Red Bull, a very disturbing situation for Max Verstappen and his management.
Some, like Toto Wolff at Mercedes F1, tried to take advantage of this to try to sign the man who ended up becoming four-time world champion.
Discussions, confirmed by both parties, even took place during the summer period.
Was Horner afraid of losing his pilot before his time? The Red Bull driver is in fact committed until 2028, even if he has exit clauses.
“At no time did I have the slightest concern about his departure.”
“Of course, every team is going to be interested in him because he is the exceptional talent that we all know, so you can only imagine he would be at the top of every team’s list.”
Horner admits Mercedes F1 put real pressure on trying to get Verstappen.
“There’s been a lot of noise around this. And usually when the noise is so public, it tends to be real and important… But the serious stuff is usually done behind the scenes, not through the media . And that’s how things are resolved, not through statements to the press.”
There were occasions, however, when Verstappen refused to silence the rumors, cleverly wording the answers to the questions asked. Until recently, the Dutchman did not rule out a change of team before leaving F1.
What should Horner be concerned about?
“He recently said he enjoys working with the team and intends to do so.”
“Now the focus is on us to provide him with a fast car so he can continue to achieve the kind of results he has achieved.”
“But his commitment has been absolute and continues to be.”
