Toto Wolff’s ‘joy’ as Red Bull risk ‘Max Verstappen leaving’ in ‘damaging’ Christian Horner saga
A reported exit clause could get Max Verstappen out of his Red Bull deal.
Red Bull have been warned that as long as Christian Horner holds onto the team boss seat, he’ll not only “damage” Red Bull but Max Verstappen will leave the team, and Toto Wolff will be the “big winner”.
Although Horner was saw an investigation into him dismissed by Red Bull’s parent company in Salzburg, Red Bull GmbH, over an allegation of inappropriate behaviour, the matter is by no means over.
Could Max Verstappen leave Red Bull in Horner saga?
24 hours after the Red Bull GmbH statement, the team boss was back in the headlines after an email claiming to contain details about the investigation was leaked.
That was followed days later by a public altercation between Horner and Max Verstappen’s Jos after which the former F1 driver spoke to the press and called for Horner’s resignation.
There is, it’s fair to say, no respite in sight for the team boss.
And the consequences, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, could be dire with Verstappen potentially even leaving Red Bull for Mercedes.
“If Christian Horner holds on to his seat with all his might, he will not only damage Red Bull, he will also ensure that Max Verstappen leaves the team,” he told Krone Zeitung.
“I see it very critically.
“What has been achieved at the moment is that the best team that has existed in the last decade – with Mercedes – is currently destroying itself from the inside.
“I think Toto Wolff is there as an onlooker with relatively great joy. He can come out of this as a big winner.”
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Verstappen has been widely linked with Wolff’s Mercedes team in the midst of the saga with the Telegraph claiming Verstappen could leave Red Bull for Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton, reporting that Jos and Wolff were seen speaking several times in Baharin.
The triple World Champion, though, has downplayed this.
Asked if he was sure that he would see out his Red Bull contract, which runs until 2028, Verstappen said: “That has, of course, always been the intention of signing. That’s why we signed so long to be here.
“And of course, it’s about the performance of the car and from 2026 onwards, that is a bit of a question mark with new regulations.
“But I knew that, when I signed my contract, I also know what they have done for me in my career, right? So yeah, the intention is, of course, absolutely, to stay with this team, because I really enjoy it.
“And I’m also really happy within the team. So as long as we perform there is no reason also to leave.”
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