Horner gives firm response when commenting Verstappen's contract situation

Speculation surrounding Verstappen’s future has been growing, with persistent rumors linking him to a potential move to Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff has made it clear that the Dutchman would be more than welcome, but Red Bull still holds him under contract.

Still, as Horner himself has previously admitted, a contract is ultimately just a piece of paper. The recent driver reshuffles within the Red Bull camp only reinforce the idea that signatures mean little when circumstances change.

A switch to Mercedes? The Red Bull team boss doesn't believe it will happen that easily: "They have their own problems, I believe they finished sixty seconds behind the race leader today", he told GPBlog  after the Austrian GP.

"Mercedes has its own issues. We focus on ourselves. We know the situation with Max and we know what's in Max's contract. For the rest, the noises come from the other side", he said, probably referring to Wolff and Mercedes.

Despite a terrible race at Red Bull's home circuit, Horner has an exceptional amount of confidence in his team. Despite the poor results. "We still have a strong team", he continues.

As the icing on the cake, he makes it clear that Verstappen doesn't just walk away: "They haven't all suddenly become idiots", he concludes.