Motor racing-Verstappen says Horner exit will not influence own F1 future
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) -Formula One champion Max Verstappen said Christian Horner's sacking as Red Bull boss would make no difference to decisions about his own future and the team still felt like a second family.
Horner's dismissal this month ended a 20-year tenure and fuelled speculation about Verstappen, with Mercedes already interested in securing the four-times world champion.
"Management decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction probably," the Dutch driver, relaxed and smiling, told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix on Thursday.
"Everyone else of course has to anyway agree to that and look forward. And I am looking forward.
"I'm equally also excited for the team now moving forward because that's what we have to do. Looking back doesn't make sense. It's not going to make you faster.
"At the same time, we do appreciate of course those 20 years and especially from my side, the 10, 11 that I've been part of Red Bull. Those things will always be remembered.
"The relationship between myself and Christian, for example, that doesn't change. Of course, he's not here now during a race weekend but it's still like a second family to me."
Verstappen has won all his titles at Red Bull, starting in 2021, but his chances of a fifth in a row are receding fast as McLaren dominate.
The 27-year-old said Red Bull's owners had every right to run the team as they saw fit.
His father and former racer Jos fell out with Horner last year, with Verstappen senior urging the Briton to go. The champion said people were entitled to disagree and he had spoken recently to Horner.
"The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can make it, really... the last one and a half years have not been what we want to be," he added.
Asked if there was still a possibility he might not drive for Red Bull next year, he smiled: "There is also a possibility I don't wake up tomorrow. So then there is no driving at all.
"Life is unpredictable. But in general, I'm very happy where I'm at."
Verstappen has a contract to 2028, with release clauses, and has said he hoped to see out his career at Red Bull.
Asked whether he had been surprised by Horner's exit, he replied: "I think in this world, things like that, they can happen. And when they told me I was like 'OK'.
"I don't need to go into detail what they said, but I said 'OK, if you guys think that this is the way forward, I'm the driver. You decide and this is how we're going to do it."
Verstappen said first impressions of new boss Laurent Mekies were good.
"I like Laurent. He's a very nice guy, first of all, very clever guy," he said. "He's been in different areas of the F1 paddock as well. And I think that can be helpful."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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