Max Verstappen addresses Red Bull future after bombshell Christian Horner exit

Max Verstappen insists that Christian Horner's bombshell exit from Red Bull will have no impact on the decision over his future.

Days after the British Grand Prix, Horner was sacked as team principal and CEO, with Red Bull suffering an alarming drop in performance that Horner could not halt, with Laurent Mekies named his replacement. 

Given the drop in performance, Verstappen's short-term future with the team has been a topic of hot discussion, with Mercedes keen to lure him to Brackley, although Toto Wolff appears to have cooled his interest.

 Verstappen's father Jos was a frequent opponent of Horner, expressing his opinion in early 2024 that he needed to be removed after the allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made or the team would "explode."

Tensions between Horner and Verstappen Senior simmered after a truce was called, but the four-time champion has denied the idea that Horner's exit will have anything to do with his own future.

"No, it doesn't really," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365, when asked if Horner's departure would mean it is more likely he stays with Red Bull, given the tensions between Horner and his father.

"People can have a difference of opinion, and I expect that to happen, because if everyone agrees, there is a problem. You need to have differences in opinion.

"Now we will work in a different direction, and I am excited about it, and I don't think it will matter at all for the decision over my future.

"The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can, and try and be more competitive this year, a little bit, but for sure with the new regulations."

When then pressed on the fact that he had said there was a decision to make over his future, Verstappen deflected the question. 

"There is also the possibility of not waking up tomorrow, and so there is no driving," he said.

"Life is unpredictable, and in general, I am happy with where I am at, and the target was that when I signed my deal [to 2028], I would drive here until the end of my career."