Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has issued a sharp warning to his world champion driver Max Verstappen, who hinted he could leave Red Bull during the Saudi Grand Prix weekend In the end, no one is more important than the team.
Another tumultuous race week gripped Red Bull Racing, and while Verstappen once again enjoyed great success on track, posting a dominant one-two finish with team-mate Sergio Perez, Horner struggled He emphasized that he considers his drivers to be just part of the team. The success they are enjoying could call the Dutchman’s bluff after he said he would consider leaving Red Bull motorsport director Helmut Marko.
“Max is a big part of our team and a big part of our team,” Horner said after Verstappen’s victory in Jeddah. “He’s a great driver but everyone has a role to play in this team. We’re a team and no one is bigger than the team and that’s the only way to achieve these results.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff further increased the pressure on Red Bull, saying his team would snap up Verstappen if he could succeed Lewis Hamilton, who will join Ferrari in 2025. “I’d love to have him,” Wolfe said. “It’s a decision Max needs to make and there’s no team that won’t do a handstand to get him into their car, whether it’s up or down the grid.”
Marko, who was instrumental in bringing Verstappen to Red Bull, said on Friday he could face an investigation and suspension believed to be related to leaks related to the Horner investigation. Marko said on Saturday that the issue had been resolved and that he would remain an adviser to Red Bull, but only if Verstappen very publicly backed him and said he would consider his future at Red Bull if Marko left or was sacked. It was widely seen as a serious warning to the team.
On the surface, this fuse has been resolved. However Horner was unwilling to let it go and reiterated his views on the controversy surrounding Marco and Verstappen’s comments during the race weekend.
“We are a team and no one is bigger than the team,” he said. “The team is made up of more than 1,400 people from different entities, from the bottom to the top, and everyone has a role to play.”
With the spotlight still on Red Bull and every comment being politically mediated, Horner’s remarks would not have been unconsidered.
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Speaking after the race, Verstappen sought to suggest that the disagreements that had become painful this weekend, particularly between his father Jos and the team principals, could finally be put behind him.
“I always say the most important thing is that we work together as a team and everyone stays peaceful,” he said. “That’s something we all agree on within the team. So hopefully that will be the case from now on. Everyone is trying to focus in the same direction. The good thing about all of this is that it doesn’t hurt our performance. So it’s a A very strong team.”
