Red Bull's Christian Horner breaks silence on the 'noise' around Max Verstappen's rumored negotiations with rival teams

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has addressed the 'noise' around Max Verstappen's rumored negotiations with rival teams and said that if there was something happening, the news wouldn't be flowing through the media. The Dutch driver got his first opportunity in F1 through the Austrian brand.

Early in 2014, he was signed to the Red Bull academy by Helmut Marko. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2015 with the junior team Toro Rosso, and was then promoted to the senior Red Bull team in 2016. Since then, Verstappen has remained with the squad and has developed alongside the team.

Emotions peaked in 2021 when Verstappen won his first title in F1 and ended Red Bull's 7-year title drought. Soon after, Verstappen signed a mega deal with the team that would extend his contract to 2028. The relationship, however, took a toll in 2024 when Christian Horner and Helmut Marko were on the opposite side of the intra-team political battle.

All of this was a result of Horner facing an internet investigation for alleged misconduct with a fellow employee. Verstappen's close relationship with the Austrian meant he took a firm stand alongside Marko, briefly putting his relationship with Red Bull on shaky ground.

This coincided with a period where the team experienced a slump, and their car was no longer the dominant force. During this time, multiple publications reported that the Dutch driver had also met with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in 2024.

Early in 2025, there were reports that Max Verstappen had been offered a billion-dollar contract by Aston Martin to move to the team. Christian Horner has weighed in on the same, as he told Goodwood that when such news is being circulated in the media, it's highly unlikely that anything is going on because such things are done in secrecy. Talking about the 'noise,' Horner said,

“There was a lot of noise. And usually, when the noise is so public, it tends to be [less believable]. The serious stuff is usually done behind the scenes, not through the media.”

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Max Verstappen has a very open relationship with Red Bull

Talking about Max Verstappen, Christian Horner said that the Dutch driver has a very open relationship with Red Bull, and that he has made his position clear.

“Max has a very open relationship with the team, and, of course, you discuss things openly, as in any form of partnership. He’s made very clear what his position is towards the team."

He added,

“And, of course, you’re always going to discuss things behind closed doors. That’s normal operation. Every team is going to show interest 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."

It would be interesting to see what the future holds for the team because a lot would depend on the kind of car the team builds for Max Verstappen.