Christian Horner drops major hint over Max Verstappen exit as he reveals Red Bull contract clause
Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move away from Red Bull after falling away in the championship standings.
4
4
The Dutchman had been eyeing a fifth World Driver's Championship title in a row at the start of the season, but now sits P3 in the driver standings behind McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
His gap to the top car is 61 points following a DNF at the Austrian Grand Prix after Kimi Antonelli crashed into the side of him on the opening lap.
Verstappen is well known to have clauses in his contract which means he can trigger an exit if results do not meet expectations - with one clause stating he must be running in at least P3 going into the summer break.
And Red Bull chief Horner has now lifted the lid on the future of the reigning world champion.
Speaking to Sky Italy, he said: "We have a great relationship with Max. We know where we stand within the agreement, which will always remain confidential between him and the team...
"We are just focused on performing. If things stay as they are, 100 per cent he will be with us next year."
Paddock reports had suggested the 27-year-old was being linked with a stunning move to Mercedes.
George Russell sits nine points behind his rival in the drivers standings, but is out of contract with the Silver Arrows at the end of the season.
And when pressed for clarification on his Verstappen comments, Horner deflected the question by focusing on the situation of the British driver.
He added: "It's impossible to say 100 per cent.
"Is it clear George Russell will 100 per cent be at Mercedes next year?"
Despite the rumours, Verstappen stormed to pole position on Saturday at the British Grand Prix.
He was just over a tenth quicker than the second-quickest driver Piastri, with Norris, Russell and Lewis Hamilton completing the top five.
4
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
32 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Lando Norris hails first British Grand Prix win as ‘everything I dreamed of'
The McLaren pair survived a chaotic rain-hit race to claim another one-two but Piastri was denied victory after being punished for braking heavily just prior to the second safety-car restart. Max Verstappen behind was forced to take evasive action and move in front of the race leader and the stewards adjudged that Piastri had excessively slammed on the brakes. Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, 37, drove superbly in the damp conditions and capitalised on the chaos around him to jump up from 19th on the grid and claim a first career podium on his 239th start in F1, to spark jubilant celebrations from his team. Norris cut Piastri's lead in the championship standings to eight points after securing back-to-back Formula One wins for the first time. 'Whoo. Whoo. We did it! At home. Oh my God we did it. It's beautiful,' an emotional Norris said on the radio. 'This is a dream winning at home. Thanks for the memory. I will remember this more than anything.' Norris added in his on-track interview: 'This is a dream winning at home. Thanks for the memory. I will remember this more than anything. 'Everything I dreamed of I guess. Apart from a championship this is as good as it gets in terms of achievement and being proud. Norris won at Silverstone for the first time (Andrew Matthews/PA) 'Your mind just goes pretty blank. The main thing is always 'don't f**k' it up. I was just trying to enjoy the moment.' Piastri took the lead from pole-sitter Verstappen on lap eight as the race began in slippery conditions. Verstappen was running second before his incident with Piastri at the restart but spun on the resumption and dropped down to 10th as the Australian again surged clear before being informed of his penalty. Norris was six seconds clear of Piastri with seven laps to go after the championship leader had served his sanction. McLaren CEO Zak Brown said on Sky Sports that McLaren were considering an appeal, with Piastri audaciously asking the team over the radio to swap positions with Norris if they believed his penalty was unfair. That request was denied and Piastri came home 6.8 seconds behind his team-mate. 'I am not going to say much, I will get myself in trouble,' Piastri said. 'Apparently you can't brake behind the safety car anymore. I did it for five laps before that.'
The Herald Scotland
43 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Lando Norris hails first British Grand Prix win as ‘everything I dreamed of'
Max Verstappen behind was forced to take evasive action and move in front of the race leader and the stewards adjudged that Piastri had excessively slammed on the brakes. Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, 37, drove superbly in the damp conditions and capitalised on the chaos around him to jump up from 19th on the grid and claim a first career podium on his 239th start in F1, to spark jubilant celebrations from his team. Norris cut Piastri's lead in the championship standings to eight points after securing back-to-back Formula One wins for the first time. 'Whoo. Whoo. We did it! At home. Oh my God we did it. It's beautiful,' an emotional Norris said on the radio. 'This is a dream winning at home. Thanks for the memory. I will remember this more than anything.' Norris added in his on-track interview: 'This is a dream winning at home. Thanks for the memory. I will remember this more than anything. 'Everything I dreamed of I guess. Apart from a championship this is as good as it gets in terms of achievement and being proud. Norris won at Silverstone for the first time (Andrew Matthews/PA) 'Your mind just goes pretty blank. The main thing is always 'don't f**k' it up. I was just trying to enjoy the moment.' Piastri took the lead from pole-sitter Verstappen on lap eight as the race began in slippery conditions. Verstappen was running second before his incident with Piastri at the restart but spun on the resumption and dropped down to 10th as the Australian again surged clear before being informed of his penalty. Norris was six seconds clear of Piastri with seven laps to go after the championship leader had served his sanction. McLaren CEO Zak Brown said on Sky Sports that McLaren were considering an appeal, with Piastri audaciously asking the team over the radio to swap positions with Norris if they believed his penalty was unfair. That request was denied and Piastri came home 6.8 seconds behind his team-mate. 'I am not going to say much, I will get myself in trouble,' Piastri said. 'Apparently you can't brake behind the safety car anymore. I did it for five laps before that.'
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Meet the glam partners of Formula One stars from pro golfer to TikTok sensation
The rich and famous descended on Silverstone this weekend for the British Formula 1 race and the drivers were supported by faces just as glamourous as the celebrities behind the wheel. It was McLaren's Lando Norris who went over the line first with Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg second and third respectively. Here, takes a look at the stunning WAGs many of whom were there at the weekend as the F1 circus pulled into the UK. Dating Max Verstappen Verstappen and Piquet welcomed their first child together earlier this year. The F1 star announced the birth on Instagram, where he wrote: 'Welcome to the world, sweet Lily. Our hearts are fuller than ever - you are our greatest gift. We love you so much.' While Lily is Max's first child, model Piquet, 36, already has a daughter, Penelope, born in 2019, from her previous relationship with Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat, 30. Kelly is a 35-year-old model from Brazil and hasn't just bagged herself a boyfriend who is a four-time world champion, but also happens to be the daughter of one too - with her father, Nelson Piquet, having the same badge of honor himself. Nelson is a controversial figure and was fined for racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton two years ago. In an interview in November 2021, Piquet, 72, used a Portuguese racial slur in reference to the seven-time world champ. Hamilton called for action to change 'archaic mindsets' after footage of the interview surfaced. Piquet then apologized but argued that his comments were mistranslated. The judge in the case, Pedro Matos de Arrudo, said the compensation was 'so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia'. Kelly and Max have been dating since January 2021 and are often spotted with Kelly's daughter, Penelope. The model recently pleaded with social media fans to stop spreading rumors about her after facing 'a strange and upsetting wave of accusations' in the last three years, some of which relate to her previous relationships. Alexandra Saint Mleux Dating Charles Leclerc Alexandra Saint Mleux is a TikTok influencer who stole the heart of her beau, Charles Leclerc over a year ago, with the two having made their first public appearance in March 2023. In May of the same year, her racing driver love confirmed the budding romance. Since then, the pair have only gained in strength and even appeared at the Monaco Grand Prix gala dinner with Prince Albert and Princess Charlene following Charles's home-race victory earlier this year. When she's not cheering her super speedy boyfriend on, she's filming lifestyle and home videos for her 886.900 TikTok followers. Her glamorous videos are the hallmark of an F1 WAG with her feed full of luxury travel locations, designer outfit fit checks and the odd few on glamorous yachts. Alex isn't just beautiful in herself, but is a fan of all things cultural, being a passionate art historian. Francisca Gomes Dating Pierre Gasly According to People magazine, Pierre, 27, has been dating model Francisca since 2022. The couple however didn't go Instagram official until 2023, when the driver shared a photo of the pair bringing in the new year together in Dubai. 'Let's hope for a year with good health, filled with love, dopamine, adrenaline and many TROPHIES!' he wrote in the post. 'I wish you all an incredible year to you and with your loved ones. Let's make it one to remember.' They have since made glamorous public appearances at events like Cannes Film Festival and Wimbledon - and as reported by People, Pierre has even called Francisca his 'lucky charm'. As well as being a model and influencer, Francisca - who is from Portugal - also appears to be a keen traveler. She often documents her adventures on Instagram, where she has 818,000 followers. Carmen Montero Mundt Dating George Russell Carmen Montero Mundt has been in a relationship with George Russell, 26, since 2020 - and as reported by GP Blog, the couple happily live in Monaco together. According to the outlet, 27-year-old Carmen has previously worked in finance - as an investor relations associate at Ruffer LLP in London - but recently announced that she is going back to studying. The driver's very glamorous girlfriend - who is originally from Spain and moved to the UK aged 18 - has a business degree from the University of Westminster. Carmen has more than 409,000 followers on Instagram, and often shares snaps of her luxury travels and enviable style online. The couple are understood to have met through friends in London, and have made a number of public appearances since first getting together. Lily Muni He Dating Alexander Albon Lily Muni He and Alexander Albon are a sporty couple match made in heaven - as both are accomplished athletes. Lily, 26, is professional golfer from China, who plays on the US-based LPGA Tour, while Alexander, 29, has been praised for his success in racing. As reported by NBC Sports, Lily was introduced to golf when she was only five years old, by her father. She grew up in Vancouver, Canada before moving to the U.S. and now is based in Los Angeles. In 2018, she opened up about her strategy for success throughout the Q-Series - not paying attention to her ranking during or after any of the final stage of the LPGA's qualifying tournament. She told as reported by NBC Sports: 'I didn't know I made it until everyone started congratulating when we were all done. 'It's the first time I've ever done that, not look where I stand on the leaderboard.' However, she admitted halfway through, her father accidentally let her know her place on the leaderboard. She and Alex started dating in 2019, after Lily watched a Netflix documentary on F1. 'I was in a slump. I was in a really bad place mentally. It was my rookie year and I wasn't playing well at all. A friend of mine convinced me to watch a (Formula One) documentary on Netflix called Drive to Survive'. They said, "I think you'd really like it. It helps you to see another perspective of a sport that's under so much pressure", she told Golf Week in 2021. 'So I watched the whole entire season in one day. I know as bizarre as this might sound, it got me really motivated in golf instantly.' After getting more curious about F1, Lily started following Alex on Instagram and 'really didn't think that much of it'. However, unbeknownst to her Alex was also getting into golf at the same time - and so followed her. 'I guess that's how we technically met,' she explained. 'We started talking on the phone. We were both rookies in 2019 and I thought that was extremely cool. 'Eventually he had an event in the States and afterwards, he and his friend took a little break in LA and that's how we properly met for the first time.' Rebecca Donaldson Dating Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz started his relationship with Rebecca Donaldson in 2023, with the pair first becoming an item in June two years ago. The 29-year-old Scottish model has been sighted at races with her beau, including at the Las Vegas GP, which he came incredibly close to winning in 2023. Donaldson has appeared on the covers of high-end fashion magazines like Vogue and Marie Claire since winning a beauty pageant aged 17, when she was a student at the prestigious Perth Academy, dreaming of breaking into the fashion industry. 'My mum entered me and I was really surprised when I found out,' she said at the time. 'I am really excited to have won and am really looking forward to entering the Top Model UK competition.' Rebecca was first linked to Keeping Up With The Kardashians star and Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick when the pair attended the premiere of a new series of the show in 2022. They dated for two months before splitting up in June of that year. She founded the activewear fashion label Muse in 2020 during the pandemic, explaining: 'I knew I wanted to create something that not only I would wear and be proud of putting my name against, but also something that was missing from the market.' The couple were first seen out together in Milan in June 2023, then fans started to think they were an item when they appeared at a golf course in Amsterdam in late August. One of Sainz's sisters began following her on Instagram, adding fuel to speculation about a romance, before Donaldson took to the catwalk at Madrid Fashion Week last month in front of members of the driver's family. While the pair haven't posted any shots of them together on their social media, they do comment on each other's posts regularly. Lily Zneimer Dating Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri, 23, enjoyed an impressive debut season on the grid in two years ago as he racked up 97 points and secured a creditable ninth-place finish in the drivers' standings. The Australian's private life has generally been kept quiet since he came into the F1 world, but he has shared snaps with childhood sweetheart Lily Zneimer on social media. In their most recent snap together, the pair could be seen on a trip to Japan. The pair met at school and have been dating for nearly five years, with Zneimer regularly supporting the Australian at events. She is reportedly still a student and the pair were also pictured together at the Autosport Awards. Lando Norris Margarida Corceiro After Lando split from Luisinha Oliveira in 2022, he has been enjoying a lowkey romance with Portuguese model and actress, Margaradia Corceiro. The pair were first seen together in May 2023 in a video on social media showing the 25-year-old driving his Fiat Jolly with her in the back of the classic car after she split from Barcelona star Joao Felix. They were later spotted together at the Monte Carlo Masters last April but have predominantly kept their on-off relationship out of the spotlight. Margarida is no stranger to flaunting her figure in scantily clad bikini snaps, sharing images from her trip to The Maldives. Back again: Norris reportedly rekindled his romance with Portuguese model Margarida Corceiro this year The McLaren star - who had held the record for most podiums without a race win - ended his barren run by beating triple world champion Max Verstappen to victory at the Miami Grand Prix in May 2024. Corceiro has appeared on a number of Portuguese television shows and as per Portuguese outlet Maria, was a contestant in the country's version of Dancing With The Stars in 2020. Norris and Corceiro continued to attend events together throughout much of last year before reports claimed that the pair had ended their short-term relationship. Confirming the news ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Norris coolly stated on-stage amidst a packed crowd after being asked if he would like a dog: 'If I do I need a girlfriend, and I don't have one.' However, it appeared the pair have rekindled their romance after Corceiro was spotted by TV cameras during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix in May. Corceiro, a model and actress from Portugal, has had an on-off relationship with Norris Flavy Barla Dating Esteban Ocon Good news: Haas driver Esteban Ocon went public with his relationship with influencer Flavy Barla in 2023 Popular: Barla has amassed a large social media following Haas driver Esteban Ocon went public with his relationship with influencer Flavy Barla in 2023 following the breakdown of his five-year partnership with Italian model Elena Berri. Barla, a 22-year-old medical student and compatriot of Ocon, has amassed a large social media following in addition to appearances in several beauty pageants. The French lady won the coveted Miss Cote d'Azur in 2022 and finished as fifth runner-up in the 2023 Miss France contest. Barla has made a few appearances at Grand Prix to support her beau, with her first coming during the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi after she and Ocon were spotted in the paddock together. The couple keep fans up to date with their exciting globe-trotting life on their social media channels.
