SILVERSTONE — Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, has stated that the team must mentally prepare for life without Max Verstappen, acknowledging that this possibility could arise next year or later within the current decade.
Speculation surrounding Verstappen`s future has been a dominant theme in Formula 1 news for several weeks. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has openly expressed his strong interest in signing the Dutch driver. Verstappen`s current contract includes an exit clause that would permit him to leave for the following year if he is positioned lower than third in the championship standings by the August summer break.
Currently, Verstappen sits third, holding a narrow nine-point lead over Mercedes driver George Russell. Russell`s contract extension discussions at Mercedes are reportedly on hold while the situation regarding Verstappen`s future remains unresolved.
Speaking on Friday before the British Grand Prix, Horner again referred to the situation as `noise`. He added, `Everyone is very clear on where we`re at. Max has been with Red Bull since the very start of his career. All his success has come in Red Bull Racing cars. He`s a big part of our team. He has a great deal of faith in the team and the people around him.`
`I think we all sit fairly comfortable with where we`re at and what the situation is. You can`t control the narrative of others, but internally we know where we`re at,` Horner continued.
However, Horner offered an intriguing glimpse into his current thinking, suggesting he has indeed contemplated a future where the four-time world champion is no longer with the team.
`Max is a key part of our team, and has been for pretty much 10 years now. So the intention is to keep that going,` Horner said. `But one day, whether it`s a year after [this] or the year after [that], there will be a day that there is no more Max [at Red Bull].`
`You always have to have that in mind, the team always has to keep looking and investing in the future. So hopefully that won`t be for several years to come but you never know. You`re always investing in young talent. You`re always giving opportunities, like we did today with Arvid Lindblad [who drove in place of Yuki Tsunoda in first practice], to see the next generation coming through. Because one thing for sure, in this business, nothing stands still,` he explained.
Verstappen`s contract with Red Bull is set to run until the end of 2028. However, on Thursday, he avoided several chances to definitively state whether he would remain with the team next year, generally being evasive about his future.
Meanwhile, George Russell has consistently expressed confidence that he will receive an extension from Mercedes and has repeatedly stated he has not engaged in discussions with any other teams regarding next year.
When asked if Russell could be a potential Plan B for Red Bull if Verstappen were to leave, Horner commented, `It`s remarkable that George is still on the market. We haven`t engaged in any discussion with George, so he`s obviously pretty confident that he`s going to retain where he is. But look, we`ve got strength and depth in our team. We`ve got the Racing Bulls team, we`ve got Arvid Lindblad.`
`2026 is going to be a transformational year. It`s the biggest rule change for Formula 1, nobody with hand on heart is going to know what the pecking order is going to be. So I think there`s an awful lot of subjectiveness for 2026 and it`ll only be this time next year we`ll have a clear picture of what that pecking order is. There`s no guarantees that jumping into a Mercedes car would automatically be a better proposition,` Horner added.
This significant rule change planned for 2026, impacting both aerodynamic regulations and engine specifications, is a key factor making Verstappen`s situation less certain than it might otherwise be.
Essentially, every team is embarking on a completely new project, making predictions about the competitive landscape at this stage impossible.
Red Bull is concluding its highly successful partnership with Honda and will begin manufacturing engines at its facility in Milton Keynes for the 2026 season.
Honda, on the other hand, will partner with Aston Martin, a team recently bolstered by the addition of former Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey. Many within the F1 paddock anticipate that Mercedes` engine will be among the strongest next season.
However, a strong engine alone doesn`t guarantee success – Mercedes is currently being outperformed by its own engine customer, McLaren, who leads both championships comfortably.
Red Bull might feel a sense of déjà vu regarding the potential departure of a four-time world champion. In 2015, Sebastian Vettel left for Ferrari after struggling in 2014 to replicate the dominant form that secured him four consecutive championships.
While Horner acknowledged the similarities, he emphasized that Red Bull is confident their new integrated project will eventually become a major force, even if immediate dominance in 2026 isn`t guaranteed.
`Sebastian left after there was a significant regulation change. In 2014 [the Mercedes] engine smashed all of us. He got a dream offer from Ferrari and decided that that was his future path. I remember [Red Bull founder] Dietrich Mateschitz telling me at the time, we don`t need the best driver if we don`t have the best car, at that stage,` Horner recalled.
`It`s about building a team…sport goes in cycles. We`ve had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula 1 and what we want to do is build towards the next cycle. Now, of course, we want that to be with Max, but we understand the pressure that there is next year with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer, the challenge of that is enormous, but we`ve got a hugely capable group of people,` he stated.
`We`ve invested significantly. We`ve got a great culture within the team. And, who knows? I mean, to expect us to be ahead of Mercedes next year, it would be embarrassing for Mercedes or for any manufacturer if we were. But I think we`re going to be in a competitive position but potentially even to where we are today relative to our other power unit manufacturers.`
`I think there`s everything to play for. I think what`s great is having it all under one roof, the chassis engineers sitting next to the power unit engineers. And that shouldn`t be underestimated when you`re talking about the packaging, when you`ve got the ability to have those groups communicating and talking with each other directly over a cup of coffee and within the same facility, that is priceless, and that will pay dividends.`
`Maybe it won`t be in 2026 but 2027, 28 and beyond, long term for Red Bull it is 100% the right thing,` Horner concluded.
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood