Christian Horner’s first admission that Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull

Christian Horner has for the first time admitted that F1 world champion Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull as he warned “no individual is bigger than the team”.

The under-fire Red Bull team principal admitted he would not stand in the way of Verstappen if he wished to leave, but added he remains confident that the three-time world champion will still be a Red Bull driver next year.

Horner’s comments came after Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix which was dominated by Verstappen, who made it two wins from two to continue his perfect start to his 2024 title defence.

"It's like anything in life, you can't force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper," Horner said.

"If somebody didn't want to be at this team, then you know, we're not going to force somebody against their will to be here.

"That applies whether it's a machine operator or a designer or somebody in one of the support functions, that runs through the business.

"Being involved in a team like this involves commitment and passion. And Max has that, we've seen that.

"He's been here since he was 18 years of age. And I have no doubt of his commitment and passion going forward. But you know, that's pretty much the way it is. No individual is bigger than the team.

"We have a phenomenal car. We've got one seat open for next year. I probably got 16 drivers that are desperate to be in that car for next year.

“Checo [Sergio Perez] is in pole position, it is his seat to lose. We have a strong relationship with Max, he is doing a wonderful job and our focus is on track.

"We listen to whatever Max has to say but the team will always make the right decisions for the team.”

Political turmoil within the Red Bull camp following an investigation into Horner, who was cleared of wrongdoing after being accused of inappropriate behaviour by a now-suspended female colleague, have led to suggestions that Verstappen could leave.

Verstappen is under contract to Red Bull until 2028 but the Dutchman’s management have reportedly held talks with Mercedes in case the situation at the team worsens.

At the season-opener in Bahrain, Verstappen’s father, Jos, said he believed the Horner controversy was “driving people apart” and that the team would “explode” if the team principal remained in post.

Asked whether his relationship with Verstappen was under strain, Horner said: “It is absolutely fine with Max.

"He's working well within the team. There's no tension, there's no stress. You can see how relaxed he is around the garage with everybody in the team and that's translating to his performance on track as well. So we don't see any issues with Max.

"Obviously, I'm aware of all that noise, but it hasn't distracted the team from the job, and we are one team now obviously."