‘Not a guarantee’ Max Verstappen stays at Red Bull with Christian Horner out

There are no guarantees Max Verstappen will stay with Red Bull despite Christian Horner being sacked, it has been claimed.

Red Bull’s decision to sack Horner, who had been at the helm of the Milton Keynes squad since their 2005 debut, sent shockwaves throughout the F1 world last week.

Horner's axing has been seen as an attempt to keep Verstappen at Red Bull, with the four-time world champion’s future remaining a big talking point.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has confirmed talks have been held between the two camps about a possible move.

Verstappen has a performance-related clause in his current contract that will allow him to leave Red Bull at the end of the year if certain conditions are met.

Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen publicly criticised Horner last year in the wake of allegations made against the now-ousted team principal.

But Horner’s dismissal does not mean Verstappen will definitely remain at Red Bull, according to respected Dutch F1 journalist Erik van Haren.

"I think what's most important for Verstappen is that the team is making steps with the car," he told Sky Sports News.

"They have a lot of problems with this car. They want more performance and then they can make the decision: is this our team for the future, yes or no.

"I think this decision [with Horner] has been made to get more peace in the team but also maybe to say to Verstappen, maybe for you this is a good moment to stay.

"Maybe it gives Red Bull a better chance to keep him in the team but that's not a guarantee at this point.”

Max Verstappen to ‘make up his mind’ this month

Van Haren went on to predict that Verstappen will make a decision about his future before the August summer break.

“I think he will make up his mind this month,” he added. “They have two race weeks to go before the summer break, so he has a lot of time to think and also to see how the car is performing.”

Martin Brundle believes Horner’s exit strengthens Red Bull’s chances of keeping Verstappen, who is under contract until the end of 2028.

"Max has often said he wants to see his career out at Red Bull if he can," Brundle said.

"Red Bull are debuting their own engine for the first time next year in what will be the biggest change in F1 history of car and power unit, at the same time. Christian has been in the driving seat of that aspect of the team completely.

"Max has an exit clause based on where he is in the World Championship at the end of this month. Does this mean he's more likely to go or stay? I can only surmise it means he's more likely to stay at the team."