Verstappen doesn't think Horner's firing 'will matter at all' for his future at Red Bull
'Life is unpredictable, but in general I'm very happy where I'm at and I hope — and it was still the target that we set out when we signed the new deal — that I would drive here until the end of my career,' Verstappen said Thursday at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen has won the last four F1 titles while racing under Horner but sits third this year behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
'The relationship between myself and Christian, that doesn't change,' Verstappen said. 'Of course, he's not here now during a race weekend, but he's still like a second family to me.'
Verstappen's contract at Red Bull runs through 2028 but there have been indications that a performance-related clause could allow him to exit earlier. The exact details are not public.
'I don't think it will matter at all for my decision in the future, and the only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can," Verstappen said. "The last one and a half years have not been what we want to be. Now we try and be more competitive this year a little bit, but for sure also with the new regulations.'
Laurent Mekies of sister team Racing Bulls replaced Horner as team principal.
'I've had a few meetings with him already,' Verstappen said. 'I cannot say right now within two weeks of not even action on track that suddenly everything is different or better, but we are trying to be better and it's been good.'
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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Advertisement 'I think the overtake ultimately came because it's very difficult for the car that leads the pack to arrive first at corner five. It's not impossible, but it does require you to have a decent advantage as you cross the finish line, which was not the case for Lando at the restart.' Norris's case wasn't helped by a slightly scruffy exit from the Bus Stop chicane as the race returned to green after four laps behind the safety car, allowing Piastri to make a small gain. He then struggled with wheelspin exiting La Source — as the lead car, he was the first to encounter the damp conditions — while Piastri was able to firmly get on the throttle, setting up the chance to go for a move. Piastri knew he couldn't get too close to the rear of Norris's car as they went down the hill toward Eau Rouge and the start of the incline, necessitating a small lift on the throttle. But then it became about negotiating the left, uphill right and kink back left over the top of the hill without losing any of that momentum. A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) 'The move through Eau Rouge, I knew it was going to be by far my best opportunity to try and win the race,' Piastri said, wryly smiling after The Athletic asked when he'd started plotting it. 'I'd been thinking about it for a while, put it that way. Obviously, in those conditions, it's a little bit more difficult than if it's dry. I knew that I had to try and do that.' The wet track meant any thought of taking Eau Rouge and Raidillon flat, as they would with ease in the dry, had to be put aside. It was a question of how little both drivers would be willing to lift, and what momentum they could carry. The data points to Norris actually backing off less than Piastri did through Eau Rouge, carrying a bit more speed and drifting more toward the left as a result. 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