Red Bull has been in the headlines for more of its off-track drama than its on-track successes recently. This is the case because of the ongoing controversy surrounding team principal Christian Horner, which began in February of this year. Although an independent barrister hired by Red Bull GmbH dismissed the grievance made against the Briton by a female employee, the controversy has yet not ended. Jos Verstappen is among those who have been most critical about Horner continuing as Red Bull’s team principal despite the shocking nature of the allegations against the 50-year-old. Jos believes that Horner’s presence in Red Bull will damage the reputation of the team. As the tensions at Red Bull Racing continue to remain high due to the uncertainty surrounding the team’s leadership, Jos has shared a peek into Max Verstappen’s mindset as rumors suggest that the 26-year-old could move to Mercedes.
In an interview with a Belgian publication, Sporza, Jos said, “The important thing is that he [Max] keeps winning, whatever he does. The car is running very well and between the engineers and him, there is also nothing wrong. Max can switch off a certain part, only he gets a lot of questions about it. He doesn’t like that.”
Moreover, Jos Verstappen has also mentioned that the team needs to restore calmness. Nevertheless, considering the current situation, he thinks it will take some time.
Alongside Jos, Horner also made an effort to ignore the subject of the controversy surrounding him in Saudi Arabia by advocating for a boundary to be formed around the matter. Although both Jos and Horner have tried their best to keep the focus on racing, the speculations continue about Max Verstappen’s future.
What did Max Verstappen say about a potential move to Mercedes?
Following Lewis Hamilton’s recent announcement of leaving Mercedes for Ferrari, the Silver Arrows now has a vacant spot to fill. Interestingly, there have been speculations that Max Verstappen could also be among the drivers as a possible replacement for the seven-time world champion.
While Verstappen has a long-term contract with Red Bull that expires at the end of the 2028 season, he hasn’t fully ruled out the possibility of moving to Mercedes. Speaking about the same in an interview with Racing News 365.com, the 26-year-old initially said that nobody would have guessed Hamilton could leave Mercedes.
The Dutchman then elaborated on the same by adding, “In my life, and it doesn’t matter that it is not related to F1, just general life, you never know what is going to happen. You can never say 100% that that is how it is going to be [and I won’t go to Mercedes in the future].”
Verstappen then concluded by claiming that he has a pretty laid-back approach to living. In addition, he stated that currently, he is really satisfied with the Red Bull team and his own performance level.
