Max Verstappen strongly hinted that he wants Christian Horner to stay in charge of Red Bull as he called for “key players” within the team to stick together.
Horner is under pressure from high-profile figures who want him gone. Most notably, Verstappen’s father Jos has publicly called for the Briton to be replaced, while long-serving team adviser Helmut Marko has also fallen out with him badly.
Verstappen made it clear he wants close ally Marko to stay and, just a fortnight ago, threatened to quit the team if the 80-year-old left. As for his opinion on Horner’s position, the Dutchman has avoided making committal statements in public.
But, speaking to reporters in Melbourne on Thursday, he hinted that he is against any major managerial changes. He said: “It is very important that we try to keep the key players in the team for a longer period of time because that is where the performance is and if I didn’t perform I wouldn’t be sitting here.
“For me, it is a second family. In a family there might some times be disagreements. You cannot choose your family but you can choose friends. A lot of people have contributed to the success of this team from the start and that has to be respected.
“It is important to keep them together, happy and in the same roles. But we just focus on the performance. I would like the chat to be about the great car that we have. Hopefully that will come slowly.”
Plenty has been made of Verstappen’s own future, particularly since that declaration that he might be willing to leave if Marko were to go through the exit door. Mercedes has been suggested as a likely destination in such a scenario, given Lewis Hamilton is to vacate his current seat to join Ferrari at the end of the year
