Christian Horner meets Max Verstappen F1 contract “speculation” head on

Christian Horner has responded to the latest claims about a key contractual clause in Max Verstappen’s deal with Red Bull.

Verstappen’s big-money contract ties him to Red Bull until the end of 2028 but his future has been constantly debated for the past year, as the team’s dominance has waned.

But Red Bull are reportedly edging closer to an important milestone in keeping their star driver.

Verstappen apparently has a clause in his contract enabling him to quit Red Bull if he is outside the top four in the drivers’ championship by the end of June, after the F1 Austrian Grand Prix.

But that is now hugely unlikely because Verstappen is third in the F1 standings, and before the Spanish Grand Prix, was 57 points clear of fifth-placed Charles Leclerc.

Christian Horner dismisses Max Verstappen Red Bull exit talk

“We are never going to discuss contracts with drivers in public,” Red Bull team principal Horner said to Sky Sports in Spain.

“There is speculation about everything these days, it will be something else tomorrow.”

Horner was confident that Verstappen’s future will remain with Red Bull despite the constant talk of a move to a rival team.

“Absolutely,” he insisted. “Max knows the commitment from the team. We know what he expects from the team.

“He believes in the people around him.

“Nothing is ever absolutely guaranteed in life but everybody knows where they’re at.”

Mercedes and Aston Martin are the teams most closely linked to a swoop for Verstappen.

The F1 2026 regulations will play a big role because it offers every team a fresh opportunity to build an era of dominance if they produce the quickest car.

The talk inside F1 is that Mercedes will have an engine to envy next year.

Toto Wolff has previously been honest about his interest in Verstappen although more recently has backed current drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Russell’s contract with Mercedes expires this year, creating additional speculation, but he is expected to pen a new deal.

Aston Martin, meanwhile, have brought in Adrian Newey to spearhead their 2026 car design.

Newey oversaw Verstappen’s dominant period at Red Bull.

However, Newey insisted that they could only bring Verstappen into their team if they first prove they possess the fastest car in F1.

This season, Verstappen’s focus is on winning a fifth drivers’ championship in a row.