Christian Horner: ‘I Can’t Force Max Verstappen to Stay Against His Will’

“It’s very important that he stays within the team. If such an important pillar falls away, that’s not good for my situation as well. So, for me, Helmut has to stay, for sure,” said Max Verstappen amid rumors of Helmut Marko’s suspension from Red Bull. The rumor mill surrounding the reigning champions just keeps getting worse every day. The latest is Christian Horner‘s uncertainty on making Verstappen stay.

The Christian Horner Fiasco has a new chapter added to it every day. New developments, in-fighting, Jos Verstappen openly firing Horner and hinting at his son’s exit. While the Max-exit rumors were put to rest, Horner’s new statement has cast doubts over it.

According to Formule1.nl, Horner, talking about how Verstappen’s contract runs until 2028,  said, “You can’t force someone to stay because of a piece of paper. I won’t keep anyone here against their will. That goes for a designer, a machine worker, or anyone else in the entire company. No individual is bigger than the team. Dedication and passion are what drives us. Max has had that too, ever since he came here as an 18-year-old boy.”

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This just seems like a thriller movie where one doesn’t know what is going to happen next.

“Our team is very stable”: Christian Horner amid rumors of Red Bull collapse

Giving more insight into the team’s condition and talking about the solid bond Horner shares with Max, he spoke about how the team functions. Horner said, “We have a strong bond with him. His focus is on the work on the track and ours. A team is a team. Max is part of that, and so is Helmut.”

He further added, “I lead the team, but everyone has their role. And that’s all it is. Of course, we always listen to what Max has to say. But the team always makes decisions that are the right ones for the team. Whether it’s strategy or the choice of engines, we do what’s best for the team. And our team is very stable. That’s one of the keys to our success.”

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What do you think will happen to Red Bull? Will the team sail through these hard times?