Christian Horner makes 'certain' Max Verstappen prediction as Red Bull exit rumours grow
04/18/2025 11:15 AM
Christian Horner is "absolutely" certain that Max Verstappen will still be a Red Bull driver for the first race of 2026 as speculation of his future grows. Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko expressed fears in the aftermath of a disappointing Bahrain Grand Prix that Verstappen could jump ship at the end of the 2025 season as the team struggles to find performance with its RB21 machine. Verstappen laboured to sixth in Sakhir, complaining of car balance and brake issues throughout the weekend as he tries to win a fifth straight drivers' crown - and sits just eight points behind leader Lando Norris heading to Saudi Arabia. Speaking himself in response to Marko's comments, Verstappen explained in Jeddah that he felt "everyone else" was talking about his future, with team principal Horner weighing in and giving a firm guarantee over the Dutchman's future. "I think noise is exactly the right word to describe it, and there has been a lot of noise outside the team," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "Inside the team, Max reaffirmed his commitment [to the team on Thursday], and we are focused on making the car go faster. "That is where our focus is, and Max is part of that. He is a committed member of the team, and the rest is all speculation. When then asked by Martin Brundle if he was "certain" that Verstappen would be at Red Bull for the first race of 2026, Horner replied: "Absolutely." Horner also addressed the recent comments made by motorsport advisor Marko, who expressed a "great concern" about Verstappen leaving in the aftermath of Red Bull's Bahrain disaster. The team principal felt sorting the RB21 out was the first matter of priority. "People are always going to have, they can say...," he began before trailing off. "As a team, we are focused very much on sorting this car out, and sorting the car out, it [Verstappen's future], doesn't even become a discussion point."
