Max Verstappen will continue to drive for Red Bull next year, team principal Christian Horner has stated following rumours of a lucrative offer from Aston Martin.
Red Bull is facing further speculation over their star driver’s future after he fell to third place in the championship at the previous round. The team’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko last week claimed Verstappen could exploit an exit clause in his contract if he is not inside the top three by the summer break in August.
Asked whether Marko’s claim was true, Horner said: “I think ‘noise’ is exactly the right word to describe it.”
“There’s been a lot of noise outside of the team,” he told Sky. “Inside the team, I think Max again reaffirmed his commitment yesterday.”
Horner said Verstappen will “absolutely” continue to drive for Red Bull in 2026.
Verstappen’s dissatisfaction with the team’s dip in performance last year prompted claims he could move to a rival team before his current deal with Red Bull ends in 2028. The first rumours of an approach from Aston Martin emerged earlier this year.
Today La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Aston Martin has offered Verstappen a three-year deal worth $300 million (£226m). The Italian newspaper claimed Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has spent heavily on other sports, intends to buy the team and will finance the bid for the four-times world champion.
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Horner downplayed Marko’s fears Verstappen could leave the team. “People are always going to have their concerns,” he said. “As a team we are very much focused on sorting this car out. Sort the car out, it doesn’t even become a discussion point.”
Verstappen and team mate Yuki Tsunoda ended the first practice session at the bottom of the top 10. Horner said the team had “gone a little radical on some of the set-up,” in that session.
“We’ve got plenty to look at. We ran the cars slightly differently as well, so that we’ve got that information now to digest before the second session.”
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