Christian Horner denies the contact of Max Verstappen with Mercedes

The novel of the possible moving of the tetracampeón to the silver arrows took temperature after George Russell confessed that there are conversations. The director of Red Bull went out to the crossing.

Mercedes flirting with Max Verstappen is not new. Already last year, Toto Wolff, director of the silver arrows, was looking forward to a possible divorce of the Dutch with Red Bull to offer him marriage. That is why the Austrian waited patiently to name a replacement to the outgoing Lewis Hamilton, with Kimi Antonelli in the cats. When he knew that the champion would continue in the shield of energy drinks he announced to the Italian Chiquilín as head of 2025. But his desire did not diminish and in this season he is again expectant to see Max fighting with an RB21 that only he can squeeze to get some performance, but that he is not reaching to be the dominant corridor of recent years.

Wolff knows that, beyond the current World Cup, the uncertain future for Milton Keynes is also worried. In 2026 a new technical regulation will enter into force and will arrive with flamming cars and engines. As for the chassis, Adrian Newey no longer has in his ranks and the promoters is even more complex because Red Bull will stop using Honda to pass their own, developed in society with Ford. Team doors are very dissimilar versions. While Christian Horner, director of RB, said it would be a mistake to think that he will have the best power unit, Helmut Marko, sports advisor, went out to the crossing: “I was surprised to read that. I internally speak in another way. We believe that we do not have a significant disadvantage.”

In the middle is nothing less than Verstappen, the most important asset of Red Bull, with a contract that expires at the close of 2028, but with output clauses based on the performance of the car. And Wolff Otea the panorama in the distance. In the previous GP of Austria was George Russell who added chapters to the novel. The English link with Mercedes expires at the end of the year and, for now, the renewal did not go from public messages of affection from Toto, but of signature, for now, nothing. At the press conference, the pilot who comes from winning in Canada fueled the flame and confessed that Wolff is in full conversations with Verstappen. Asked the director of Mercedes, he did not deny the talks: “As team director responsible for the best car brand in the world, it is clear that you are exploring what a four -time world champion will do in the future, and that could happen in a long time. But that does not affect us when signing the George contract,” he said.

The bells arrived at the Red Bull and Horner camp came out to put a brake when he rejected. “It’s a lot of noise,” English began in statements to Sky. “I think Max is quite bothering and we are very clear about the contract that the contract with Max is until 2028. Anything that is said is totally speculative, we tend not to pay too much attention to it,” he added. And to close, Geri Halliwell’s husband chose a dart for Russell: “I can imagine that George is frustrated because they have not yet given him a contract. But that is between him and his team. The situation with Max has it very clear and, obviously, Max too, so everything is subject to noise and, within any contract, it is still confidential between the parties.” The novel promises to add more chapters.