Christian Horner said he would not stand in the way of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull if he chooses to do so, but he remains confident the reigning champion will stay at the team beyond the end of this year.
Despite winning the opening two rounds of the season, divisions and controversy within Red Bull have led to suggestions that Verstappen, who has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, could leave the team at the end of the year.
A rift appeared within Red Bull last week after the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, cleared Horner of allegations of inappropriate behaviour brought by a female colleague.
Verstappen’s father, Jos, called for Horner to stand down following a two-month investigation, saying the team would “explode” if he remained in his position.
When asked whether his relationship with Verstappen was under strain, Horner said: “It is absolutely fine with Max.
“He’s working well within the team. There’s no tension, there’s no stress. You can see how relaxed he is around the garage with everybody in the team and…
