Christian Horner queries "where headlines come from" in Max Verstappen exit saga

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reiterated that Max Verstappen will continue to drive for the squad in Formula 1 next year.

Horner revealed that Verstappen told the senior management at Red Bull that he is committed to honouring their contract, despite rumours that the squad’s competitive struggles could tempt him to join a rival F1 team.

The Briton said he doesn’t understand why there is so much speculation about the the four-time world champion's future, when Red Bull has tied him down with a deal until the end of the 2028 season.

“Max is a huge part of our team and he is very much enmeshed in everything that we are doing, development-wise,’ Horner told the BBC’s The Inside Track podcast.

“There is an awful lot of noise externally, sometimes we wonder where that comes from because there is not the same noise internally.

“Max has got his head down, he is fully committed, he has voiced that commitment to the team, to all the leadership within the team and everybody is just focused on improving the car and competing for the world championship. 

"So where the headlines come from is sometimes difficult to understand.”

Speculation linking Verstappen to an exit from Red Bull first surfaced last year, when an investigation into Horner for alleged inappropriate behaviour threatened to tear the team apart.

More recently, Red Bull’s declining form has been the lead cause of those rumours, with Verstappen widely understood to have a performance clause in his contract that could allow him to leave the team as early as next year.

The loss of key technical personnel, including design guru Adrian Newey to the rival Aston Martin team, is also believed to be causing unease within the Verstappen camp.

Asked if the Dutchman will be driving for Red Bull next year, Horner responded: "Yeah, he has got a contract until 2028.

“Of course, if we can't deliver him a competitive car, then inevitably you raise questions about that but he is absolutely committed.

“This team has provided him with a car that won 64 grands prix so far, four world championships. 

“He enjoys working with the people, he has a great relationship with the team, with the engineering staff and we are all in it together at the end of the day.

“As a team, you win together, you lose together and you stick together.”