Red Bull ended the Formula 1 2024 season with another world title to add to its trophy cabinet. A result that, twelve months ago, would have been considered routine, given the technical dominance demonstrated in the triumphant 2023 campaign.
However, at the start of the season, things changed drastically. The turmoil caused by Christian Horner’s internal issues shook some of the pillars of the team. Within this context, the most delicate game was played, a confrontation whose outcome could have derailed (in terms of ambitions) the Red Bull F1 program.
Toto Wolff seized the golden opportunity to deal a significant blow to his main rival, Horner. The goal, pursued for a couple of months, was to lure Verstappen away from Red Bull—the lynchpin around which the team revolved after the chaos of last spring.
Milton Keynes trembled, even more than when Adrian Newey resigned, but in the end, everything was resolved in the best way, at least in the short term. Now that the season is behind us, Verstappen also reflected on that early summer period.
“I’m not lying when I say we sat around a table,” Max explained to Viaplay. “I don’t think it was or still is a problem. We had very constructive conversations, always honest and open with each other. But on the other hand, I am loyal to my team; that’s where I feel at home. This is the current situation. I’m still very young, so I can’t know what might happen in the future, which for me isn’t just about Formula 1. I intend to do many other things, projects I’m thinking about that will require the right partners.”
The message Max sends is clear: the possibility of seeing a Max Verstappen team in GT or Hypercar with Mercedes cars in the coming years is not science fiction. “Let’s say an endurance team,” Max admitted. “It will be my team, and many things will come together. With whom will I do it? Conversations are ongoing, and I’m in no rush.”
But the talks between Toto Wolff, the two Verstappens, and trusted manager Raymond Vermeulen went far beyond a hypothetical technical partnership in the endurance world.
“I understand that a team (in F1) would want to have the fastest driver in their car,” Max continued. “It’s a justified interest, but today I am part of a team that has allowed me to achieve great success. I feel like an integral part of this family. You can’t wake up one morning and say, ‘Okay, you know what? I’m leaving at the end of the season.’ That’s not how I operate. These are choices that need to be evaluated carefully, and it takes time to do so.”
“I also understand that it’s not pleasant for the team (Red Bull) to learn that you’re talking to another team,” Verstappen admitted, commenting on Christian Horner’s irritated reaction. “Mercedes didn’t hide our talks, so I fully understand Christian’s disappointment.”
“That said,” Max added regarding the ‘spats’ between the two team principals, “it’s been like this for a long time. Sometimes it’s the drivers; other times, it’s the regulations. There’s always something to poke each other about.”
It’s true that Wolff has never shied away from admitting the talks with Verstappen, but the situation also allowed Max to apply pressure on Red Bull during a period when even his first mentor, Helmut Marko, was at risk.
After his fourth world title and cementing his status as a top driver in the Formula 1 paddock, Verstappen can now afford to wait and carefully evaluate his next move. “In 2026, there will be new regulations, but for now, I’m not too worried, to be honest. I have a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, and in F1, it’s not like football, where you sign a five-year deal and then leave the following season.”
“Let’s just say that in our sport, it’s not that common, and I don’t intend to do that. Obviously, you can never be sure what the future will hold in a year, two, or three, but today, I am very happy where I am. We’ve won another championship, and I’m part of a team that allows me to be myself. I have nothing to complain about.”
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