Christian Horner’s defiant words over Max Verstappen have come to the fore after links with a sensation £1 billion move to Aston Martin.
The Daily Mail has reported this week that Jefferson Slack, close allay of Aston’s billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll, has told potential investors that the 27-year-old Dutchman will be joining them for the 2026 F1 season. The eye-watering deal would dwarf his current £50 million per year salary and be one of the biggest in the history of sport.
The four-time world champion, who beat McLaren’s Lando Norris to the title in 2024, has stated within the last few weeks that he would ideally see out his illustrious career at Red Bull, where he is contracted until 2028. And Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner has recently echoed those sentiments.
Speaking at the end of the 2024 F1 season, he said: “The relationship that Max has with the team, you can see there’s a great amount of trust there. It’s down to us to deliver, and I’m sure that we’ll provide him with a car that he can fight again for the championship, I’ve got no doubt about that.
“I don’t think it is going to be easy, but it won’t be easy for any of the teams, and I think there are a lot of lessons that we’ve taken out of this year. He’s the best driver in the world by a margin. He’s comfortable in the team. He has a great deal of trust in the people around him, and we know that we’ve got to give him a good car to keep him recognising and achieving the kind of results that his talent warrants.”