The recent resignation of Christian Horner as a team boss and CEO of Red Bull Racing has turned the Formula 1 world upside down. The decision, announced on July 10, 2025, comes after a tumultuous period for the team, which is struggling with disappointing performance and internal tensions. In the midst of this chaos, Helmut Marko, the influential adviser of Red Bull, made a hard statement about the future of four -time world champion Max Verstappen. His words have provoked a warning reaction from Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, who has been at odds with Horner for some time. This development feeds speculation about Max ’future at Red Bull and possible interest from rival teams such as Mercedes.

Helmut Marko, a key figure in Verstappen’s career since he brought him to Red Bull in 2016, recently spoke about the situation after Horner’s departure. In an interview withCar sprintMarko emphasized that Red Bull should supply a competitive car to retain Verstappen, but he added that Max cannot use the escape clauses in his contract at the moment, which runs until 2028. “He can’t just leave,” Marko Stellig, in an attempt to tempt a transfer to Mercedes. This statement followed on a weekend full of speculations during the British Grand Prix, where Max achieved a pole position, but the team only scored ten points in the last two races. Marko’s trust in Red Bull’s ability to maintain Verstappen seems based on the presence of a competitive basis, with Max as their “absolute number one” driver, but his hard tone also suggests a need to keep the situation under control.

Jos Verstappen, who never has a magazine, responded quickly to Marko’s words. In a statement toGP33He warned that Red Bull should not blindly rely on contractual security. “If the Max team cannot give a car with which he can win, he will consider other options, regardless of what is in his contract,” said Jos. He pointed to the disappointing performance of the RB21, which in 2025 has difficulty competing with McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. Jos ’warning stems from a long history of tensions with Horner, who, according to sources such asF1Maximaal.nlFor a year and a half, collisions had known with the Verstappen clan. A recent conversation after the qualification in Silverstone between Jos, Max and Horner, according to witnesses, was anything but friendly, which further featured the speculation about Horner’s resignation as an attempt to preserve Max.

Horner’s resignation, after twenty years at the helm of Red Bull, is broadly seen as a turning point. The team, which still dominated in 2023, dropped to fourth place in the constructors’ championship in 2024. Factors such as the departure of key figures such as Adrian Newey, an outdated wind tunnel and Horner’s Focus on Red Bull Powertrains are mentioned as the causes of the decline. Laurent Mekies, formerly team boss of Racing Bulls, has been appointed as Horner’s successor, but according toMotorsport.comhis appointment will not immediately solve the structural problems of the team. The car remains difficult to control, and upgrades in Austria and Silverstone did not yield the desired result. All this feeds the uncertainty about Verstappen’s future, especially now that Mercedes, led by Toto Wolff, is reportedly prepared to pay a lump sum payment of $ 120 million to bring in Max in 2026 or 2027.

For Red Bull, maintaining Verstappen is crucial. Such as a Red Bull insider, known as Dr. Obbs, noted on X, the team has expected a “small relapse” after the loss of Horner and other key figures such as Newey. Yet Max remains the cornerstone of their strategy, especially with the new regulations of 2026. However, Jos Verstappen’s warning underlines that loyalty to Red Bull is not self -evident. Max himself indicated that he wants to stay with Red Bull in 2026 to see who has the best car, but his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, kept striking on the plain about Horner’s resignation, which suggests that Max’s future is not yet fixed.

While Red Bull is preparing for a new cycle under Mekies, the question lingers: can the team restore peace and performance to convince Verstappen? Marko’s hard statement and Jos’ warning response make it clear that the battle for Max’s future is not only fought on the track, but also in the Milton Keynes boarding rooms. The Formula 1 world holds its breath for what will bring in the coming months.