Christian Horner is ‘man enough’ to keep one promise he made to Max Verstappen at Red Bull

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Christian Horner is facing the daunting prospect of losing his star driver Max Verstappen in the near future.

The Red Bull team principal has been fending off interest in the four-time champion for the past 18 months. Verstappen had been in talks with Mercedes last season, but the Milton Keynes outfit kept hold of him as he won his fourth title in 2024.

But in 2025, Red Bull have regressed in performance, with the RB21 proving a difficult car to drive and their upgrades have not seen much improvement. With doubts surrounding the team and its power unit in 2026, rumours are swirling around the paddock about Verstappen’s future.

Mercedes have reignited discussions with Verstappen, with Toto Wolff confirming that talks were ongoing at the Austrian GP. The team principal is a keen admirer of the Dutchman and is trying to lure him to Brackley and their project under the new technical regulations.

F1 fans think Wolff sent a ‘sublime message’ to Verstappen with Mercedes’ livery featuring orange stars for the British Grand Prix. Red Bull boss Horner, and in fact everyone involved in the saga, has been bombarded by questions about his star driver’s future.

Christian Horner is ‘man enough’ to let Max Verstappen leave Red Bull if he so desires

Verstappen has a contract until 2028 at the Milton Keynes outfit. It is reported that Verstappen will not leave until 2027, as it would be a risk to switch teams when no one knows what the pecking order will be come next season.

However, there is a possibility that he could move sooner than expected. Verstappen has a get-out clause in his contract, which can now be activated after the Austrian GP based on his position in the drivers’ championship.

The 27-year-old is third in the standings, 61 points behind Oscar Piastri after his DNF at the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen looked like he was waving ‘goodbye’ to Red Bull as he appeared relaxed after the crash and acknowledged his fans in the grandstands.

Verstappen has been unsatisfied with the technical department as the team cannot seem to find a way to improve the car. The Dutchman is now seriously considering his future, and he may be given the freedom to leave if he so desires.

In a report from De Telegraaf, Horner has been clear that ‘whoever wants to go, can go’, having already lost the likes of Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall. If Verstappen wishes to pursue other opportunities, the Red Bull boss would be ‘man enough’ to keep that promise for him.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Who could Red Bull call upon to replace Max Verstappen?

As aforementioned, the Red Bull driver is not expected to move just yet. Wolff is ‘open to the idea’ of waiting until 2028 for when Verstappen’s contract expires to strike a deal.

Nevertheless, Red Bull will have an enormous hole to fill if the Dutchman does leave the team. He has scored all but seven of their points thus far in 2025, as Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have struggled to find performance in the RB21.

Isack Hadjar is being linked with Red Bull, having had an impressive rookie campaign this season with Racing Bulls. But with him being tipped to replace Tsunoda in 2026, the Milton Keynes outfit will have to find another driver to fill Verstappen’s seat.

Jenson Button even suggested Kimi Antonelli to Red Bull, with the Mercedes driver being out of contract in 2025, along with teammate George Russell.