Christian Horner on Max Verstappen interest: “Wolff and Brown wouldn’t be doing their job otherwise”. Red Bull boss Christian Horner admits it’s normal for rivals like Toto Wolff and Zak Brown to pursue Max Verstappen.

The words of the Red Bull team principal
“Did Brown reach out to me? He spoke to my entourage, but the call was short—it ended as soon as he realised how much he’d have to pay.” With these words, Max Verstappen dismissed the interest shown by Zak Brown when the McLaren boss tested the waters to see if there was any room for negotiation to sign the four-time world champion.

“I got the information I was looking for,” responded Zak Brown, thus not denying that he had indeed contacted Max Verstappen’s camp. McLaren has recently renewed Oscar Piastri’s contract after doing the same with Lando Norris, so at this point the McLaren driver lineup appears set for several years to come.

In an interview with De Telegraaf, Christian Horner emphasized that it’s entirely normal for other team principals to explore negotiations with Max Verstappen: “They wouldn’t be doing their job properly if they didn’t. But that doesn’t automatically mean Max is going to leave. It’s just part of Formula 1,” said the Red Bull team principal, who also highlighted how important Helmut Marko still is to Max Verstappen. The Austrian advisor is expected to continue his role at Red Bull in the coming seasons as well: “Helmut is a kind of mentor for Max. His involvement in the day-to-day operations of the team is minimal. Over the years, he has played a very important role, but I think everyone knows their place. Max has a great relationship with Helmut and can always count on him.” – Christian Horner concluded.