‘Until the end’: Verstappen sticks to RedBull despite Mercedes links

Max Verstappen has revealed how he views his future after speculation linking the RedBull star to a shock move to Mercedes.

MELBOURNE, MARCH 21, 2024: Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park. Red Bull Racings Christian Horner and Max Verstappen in the paddock. Picture: Mark Stewart

Max Verstappen has declared his intention to remain with Red Bull “until the end” of his long-term deal amid rampant speculation about his future, but he admitted Toto Wolff’s remark that he would love to have him at Mercedes was “always nice to hear”.

In the ongoing fallout from the Christian Horner scandal, Verstappen has been linked to a shock move to rivals Mercedes as a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton following a tumultuous start to the year for the world champions off track.

Verstappen was again peppered with questions about his future and his happiness within the team after arriving at Albert Park ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

The triple world champion was earlier spotted chatting at length to team principal Horner in the F1 paddock after they arrived at the track on Thursday afternoon.

Verstappen has a contract in place with Red Bull until the end of 2028 and said it was his intention to honour it.

“That’s why, of course, I signed the deal in the first place,” Verstappen said when asked if he planned to stay at Red Bull for the length of his deal.

“I am happy within the team and it’s very important that we try to keep the key players in the team for a longer period of time because that’s where the performance is as well.

What was Verstappen and Horner talking about? Picture: AFP

“At the end of the day, it’s a performance business. It’s the same as if I didn’t perform, I wouldn’t be sitting here. So I know how that works.

“But for sure with the deal in place, that is also my intention for sure to be here until the end.

“Of course it would be a great story for me personally also to just see it out until the end because it means I’ve been part of one family and one team.”

Mercedes boss Wolff said at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that he would “ love to have” Verstappen at the Silver Arrows and there was not a team in pit lane who “wouldn’t do handstands” to have him in their car.

Verstappen joked he could “understand” Wolff’s comments, but said they did not make any difference to his thinking about his future.

“It doesn’t have any impact on me or what I would do or whatever,” Verstappen said.

“It’s always nice to hear that. But of course Toto and I, we had our little moments, but that’s normal between two teams as well battling I guess for championships.

“But the respect has always been there. From my side it does not change anything.”

Asked if he would ever join Mercedes, Verstappen said he had not yet given any thought to his future beyond his Red Bull deal.

“What year? I don’t know what after ‘28 happens,” Verstappen said.

“I don’t know if I’m going to stay in F1, if I’m going to continue, maybe sign a new deal, I don’t know that yet.”

The headlines surrounding the Horner saga continue to follow Red Bull, overshadowing a dominant start to the season on track.

Will he see out the length of his deal? Picture: Getty Images

Last weekend it was reported the female Red Bull employee at the centre of the allegations against Horner had lodged an official complaint to Formula 1’s governing body the FIA.

Horner was cleared of wrongdoing following allegations of inappropriate behaviour by an investigation carried out by Red Bull’s parent company last month.

But Verstappen’s father Jos claimed earlier this month that Red Bull faced being “torn apart” if Horner remained in his position.

Asked if he was satisfied with the way the team had handled the whole controversy, Verstappen said he had tried to keep his focus on his job behind the wheel.

“I don’t always want to be too involved with these kind of things because at the end of the day I am the driver and I am here to look at the performance side of things, that’s what I’m hired for,” Verstappen said.

“But from what I know everything is handled in the right way. I’m not going into any further details from that side because I don’t know more than that.

“I also don’t want to know because that’s not my job or my task within the team.

“We all want the same and we want to just perform on track so that’s what we want to focus on as a team.”

Verstappen said he still felt comfortable at his “second family” Red Bull.

Verstappen is heading towards a fourth F1 championship in a row this season. Picture: AFP

“I always felt comfortable because for me it is like a second family. In the family there might sometimes be, how should I say - not disagreements - but as you know you can’t choose family, you can choose friends,” he said laughing.

“But it’s good. Obviously for me, it’s been the same and we just focus on the performance. “Of course I would like the chat to be a little bit more about the great car that we have but hopefully that will come.”

Despite the off-track saga, Red Bull has continued its on-track dominance to finish one-two in the opening two races of the F1 season.

Verstappen’s comments about his future came as his teammate Sergio Perez said losing the Dutch ace would be a “blow” for the team.

“I don’t know what clause Max has in his contract. As far as I know, Max has a contract with the team and is fully committed,” Perez said.

“(If Max were to leave) I think the team is in a very strong position. Right now, everyone in the team is working really well together, the whole engineering group is really united and you can see that on track, and how efficient we’ve been in the last year or so. I don’t see any reason to change it.

“It will obviously be a blow for the team if Max were to leave.”

Originally published as ‘Until the end’: Verstappen sticks to RedBull despite Mercedes links