Christian Horner told how Red Bull shareholders will react if he lets Max Verstappen join Mercedes

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Christian Horner might have a dilemma at Red Bull if the rumours of Max Verstappen leaving the team come to fruition.

Red Bull has enjoyed unrivalled success since the switch to ground effect cars in 2022, but the teams slowly chipped away at that advantage and now McLaren are the team to beat.

A combination of staff rotation and car design philosophy is to blame for Red Bull’s staggered progress in the last 18 months, which has enabled rivals to now build cars that are even faster than their dominant RB19.

Red Bull’s lack of progress could end up being the deal-breaker for Verstappen, who has been rumoured to join Mercedes from the 2026 season.

Toto Wolff has been in talks with the Verstappen camp over a switch, and now it’s looking increasingly like a possibility in the near future.

Should Verstappen leave Red Bull, former F1 driver Christijan Albers believes it could also signify the end of Christian Horner’s reign at the team when speaking on the Telegraaf F1 podcast.

No reason for Christian Horner to stay at Red Bull if Max Verstappen leaves

Horner has enjoyed the support of Red Bull’s Thai owners, but they were recently spotted doing something worrying at the Austrian GP when meeting the team principal.

Verstappen can activate an exit clause in his contract because he is not in the top two places of the Drivers’ Championship, prompting rumours that he could be looking elsewhere.

If the Dutchman does decide that another team would be better, then Albers believes Horner could be in trouble in his current position.

“The pressure is coming because at the top, at a certain point, they won’t really be happy. If they lose Max, I don’t see any reason why Horner can stay,” said Albers.

Max Verstappen insiders think buyout clause is ‘peanuts’ for Mercedes

Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, which means any team that wishes to secure him for 2026 or 2027 will need to buy him out.

At the moment, Verstappen’s buyout clause is understood to be at least £100m+ from his Red Bull contract, which could impact the decision to leave.

But insiders within Verstappen’s team believe Mercedes would be willing to pay the exit fee, knowing that he would bring a lot of commercial value to the team.