Red Bull boss Christian Horner defended his team`s capabilities amidst speculation linking world champion Max Verstappen to Mercedes. He stated emphatically that Red Bull hasn`t “suddenly become idiots overnight.”
Max Verstappen`s remarkable streak of four consecutive drivers` titles appears likely to conclude this year. McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have established a commanding position at the top of the standings as the season approaches its halfway mark.
Adding to the narrative, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed on Friday that he is in “conversations” about potentially signing Verstappen, despite the Dutch driver being contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028.
Speaking after Verstappen`s unfortunate first-lap retirement at the Austrian Grand Prix, Horner explained his confidence that Verstappen still trusts Red Bull.
“I still believe that we have strength in depth in this team,” he said.
Horner acknowledged the recent performance challenges: “Unfortunately, we haven`t seen the performance come that we would like. We`re at the end of a set of regulations. I think we are compromised by some of the tools that we have.”
However, he quickly added perspective: “But it`s the same fundamental group of people that 18 months ago designed a car that won every single grand prix bar one. They didn`t suddenly just become idiots overnight.” Horner also praised McLaren`s current strong performance.
`Mercedes Have Got Their Own Problems`
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had previously courted Verstappen last year after Lewis Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari for 2025. While Wolff had recently suggested he was no longer pursuing Verstappen, Mercedes driver George Russell revealed on Thursday that his own contract extension talks were potentially being delayed while the team assessed their chances of signing Verstappen. Wolff largely agreed with Russell`s comments.
Asked how difficult the poor result at Red Bull`s home race was in the context of the speculation surrounding Verstappen, Horner responded by highlighting Mercedes` own performance:
“I think they have got their own problems. They were 62 seconds behind the race leader today.”
He reiterated focus on his own team: “For us, we just focus on ourselves. We know what the situation is with Max. We know what the contracts are with Max, and you know the rest is all noise that`s not coming from here.”
Horner also commented on the struggles of Red Bull`s other driver, Yuki Tsunoda, who finished last among classified runners at the Austrian GP, describing his race as “horrible.”
Horner detailed how Tsunoda`s weekend went wrong from qualifying mistakes, running in traffic, and receiving a penalty, which “just compounds things.” He acknowledged the “big delta” between the two cars and stated the team would look to support Tsunoda and help him rebuild confidence at the upcoming Silverstone race.
Has Verstappen`s Title Bid Ended?
Following his retirement from the Austrian GP after a collision with Mercedes` Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap (his first retirement in 32 races), Verstappen is now 61 points behind the championship leader.
Verstappen had previously commented in recent races that he didn`t feel truly in the title fight this year given McLaren`s competitiveness. After the damaging result on Sunday, the Dutch driver told Sky Sports F1:
“Hopefully, then people will not mention it too much anymore.”
He added: “We try to do our best, always. My mentality doesn`t change. We`ve won a lot in the past. Sometimes you have to accept that you are not winning, and we just try to do the best that we can.”
