Max Verstappen has not dismissed the possibility of leaving Red Bull amidst the turmoil surrounding team principal Christian Horner.
Horner faced an internal investigation from Red Bull GmbH over allegations of ‘inappropriate behavior’ towards a female colleague.
Although the 50-year-old denied the allegations and was cleared by the team before the start of the season in Bahrain, leaked documents during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend revived the issue. This prompted rival team principals to call for an external investigation.
Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, disclosed a disagreement with Horner during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, fueling rumors of Mercedes eyeing his son as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who will join Ferrari in 2025.
While Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, F1 Insider revealed a clause allowing him to leave immediately if Helmut Marko departs from the team.
Speaking to Rachel Brookes on Sky Sports ahead of practice in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen emphasized his focus on racing but did not rule out the possibility of leaving the team next season when asked.
“Things would have to get really crazy, I suppose, but that’s not the objective for anyone,” he remarked.