Christian Horner issues latest Verstappen update as Russell seat swap addressed
Christian Horner was appointed Red Bull team principal in 2005
Christian Horner has insisted that the “absolute intention” is for Max Verstappen to remain at Red Bull for the F1 2026 season amid rumours of a move to Mercedes.
And he has claimed that Red Bull have not “engaged in any discussion” with Russell over a potential seat swap with Verstappen.
Christian Horner issues latest Max Verstappen, George Russell update
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Despite being officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of the F1 2028 season, Verstappen has been linked with a move away from the team at the end of this year.
Horner confirmed to media including PlanetF1.com last year that the Dutchman’s contract contains a “performance element” that could allow him to leave the team before the end of his deal.
It is believed that Verstappen can activate an exit clause if he is lower than fourth in the Drivers’ Championship after next month’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the summer break. He currently holds third with a nine-point advantage over Russell.
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A report in Italy earlier this week claimed that Verstappen is close to sealing a deal with Mercedes for F1 2026, with the transfer awaiting approval from the Mercedes board.
It came after Russell, whose current contract expires at the end of this season, revealed at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix that talks to take the four-time world champion to Mercedes are “ongoing.”
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com on Friday at the British Grand Prix, Horner insisted that Red Bull and Verstappen “sit fairly comfortable” despite the ongoing speculation.
He said: “There’s obviously an awful lot of people talking about it, but what’s most important is the relationship between the driver and the team.
“Obviously there’s an agreement that defines that as well and everybody’s very clear on where we’re at.
“Max has been with Red Bull since the very start of his career, all his success has obviously come in Red Bull Racing cars and he’s a big part of our team and he has a great deal of faith in the team and the people around him.
“Whilst there’s always going to be speculation and noise, I think we all sit fairly comfortable with where we’re at and what the situation is.
“We can’t control the narrative of others, but internally we know where we’re at.”
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Asked directly if Verstappen will still be a Red Bull driver in F1 2026, he replied: “The contracts between the drivers and the teams are always going to remain confidential.
“And with any driver’s contract, there is an element of a performance mechanism – and of course that exists within Max’s contract.
“The absolute intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026.
“Now it’s inevitable that he’s of huge interest to any other team and in the pit lane and I think, actually, George triggered all this speculation, probably trying to leverage his own situation and force clarity, which you can understand because he’s driven a very good season as well this year.
“But inevitably, there will always be speculation about that.
“I think the most important thing is the clarity that exists between Max and the team and that’s that’s very clear.”
A report in April claimed that Horner held informal talks with Russell, who joined Mercedes at the start of 2022 after a three-year stint with Williams, over a deal for next season.
It came after Horner himself admitted it would be “foolish” to rule out a move for Russell at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Asked if Russell could head to Red Bull in a potential seat swap with Verstappen, Horner insisted that no talks have taken place with the British driver.
And he mentioned Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, as well as Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad, as potential options for the team going forward.
He said: “It’s remarkable that George is still on the market.
“We haven’t engaged in any discussion with George, so he’s obviously pretty confident that he’s going to get to remain where he is.
“But we’ve got a strength in depth within our team. You can see the Racing Bulls drivers, you can see Lindblad that we’re running today [in practice].”
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Rumours have persisted for some time that Mercedes’ preparations for the new F1 2026 rules, which will see the sport embrace 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics, are more advanced than its rivals.
Next season will see Red Bull produce its own engines for the first time, in conjunction with US giant Ford, via its newly established Red Bull Powertrains division.
With the chassis and engine rules changing at the same time, Horner warned that it is dangerous to make any assumptions on which teams will be competitive in F1 2026.
He said: “2026 is going to be a transformational year.
“It’s the biggest rule change in Formula 1, probably in the last 50 years, where both chassis and power unit is being introduced at the same time.
“Nobody with hand on heart can know what the pecking order is going to be.
“It could be either one of these gentlemen [McLaren and Aston Martin] sat either side of me, it could be Ferrari, it could be Mercedes, it could be anyone.
“So I think there’s an awful lot of subjectiveness to 2026 and it’ll only be really this time next year that you’ll have a clear indication of what that pecking order is.
“There are no guarantees that jumping into a Mercedes car would automatically be a better proposition.”
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