Christian Horner has given a big update on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future and believes there is a potential scenario which could be ’embarrassing’ if it comes to pass.
Verstappen has established himself as an all-time F1 great after winning the last four Drivers’ Championships with the Milton Keynes-based team.
But the likelihood of Verstappen adding a fifth crown this season looks increasingly slim with Red Bull’s decline in competitiveness over the past year.
It appears one of the two McLaren drivers – Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris – will become world champion this year with the pair separated by just eight points at the top of the drivers’ standings.
Though Verstappen has two race wins to his name this year, he is now 69 points behind current leader Piastri, which is nearly three race wins’ worth of points.
Unless there is a dramatic resurgence from Red Bull or a drop-off from McLaren, it appears unlikely Verstappen will win this year’s title.
McLaren also look to be the firm favourites to retain the Constructors’ Championship, with their current tally of 460 points more than double that of second-placed Ferrari.
Verstappen has a contract at Red Bull until the end of 2028, ahead of the next big rules cycle change which begins from next season onwards.
A major part of this will be a new type of engine where the electrical element will be increased to deliver half of the overall power.
Red Bull currently uses Honda engines, which they have done since 2019, but the Japanese manufacturer will be moving for 2026 to become the works’ supplier for Aston Martin.
The Milton Keyes based team will be building its own engine for the first time via Red Bull Powertrains, which is being supported by US car giant Ford.
Speculation is swirling that Mercedes could swoop for Verstappen for next season onwards, with reports suggesting the Dutchman can use an exit clause to leave Red Bull if he lower than fourth in the Drivers’ Championship by the summer break after the Hungarian Grand Prix at the start of August.
The last time there was a major overhaul of F1 engines in 2014, Mercedes emerged as the sport’s dominant force thanks to having the best power unit, and claims in the paddock suggests the German company might have repeated this for 2026.
Horner addressed Verstappen’s future over the weekend at the British Grand Prix and the topic of new engines came up.
Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner recognizes that entering the sport as a new power unit manufacturer is a major challenge. However, he says it would reflect poorly on established teams like Mercedes if Red Bull Powertrains outperforms them right from the start under the new regulations. He also reiterated his desire for Max Verstappen to stay with Red Bull through the end of his current contract.
In an interview with Planet F1, Horner said: “Everything in sport moves in cycles, and Formula 1 is no different. We’ve had two very successful eras, and now we’re focused on building the next one.
“Obviously, we want Max to be part of that, but we also know the scale of the challenge ahead next year as we become a new engine manufacturer.
“It’s a huge task, but we’ve got a highly capable team, we’ve made big investments, and the team environment is strong.
“Would it be realistic to expect us to outperform Mercedes next year? Probably not.
“But if we did, it would be pretty embarrassing for them—or for any established engine maker, really.
“That said, I think we’ll still be competitive—possibly close to where we are now compared to the other engine suppliers.
“The big advantage is having everything under one roof—our chassis and engine teams working together, communicating directly, sometimes just over a coffee. That kind of integration is incredibly valuable.
“Even if we don’t see the full benefits in 2026, by 2027, 2028, and beyond, this approach will absolutely prove to be the right one for Red Bull.”
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