APRIL 19, 2024

Only peace and calm will keep Verstappen at Red Bull

As long as Red Bull remains "peaceful and calm", Max Verstappen says he's going nowhere.

For months now, rumours and counter-rumours amid the loud and intense Red Bull leadership power struggle have suggested the triple world champion might find a way out of his 2028 contract.

That might go a long way to explaining why the power struggle has suddenly become so quiet - notwithstanding a new report suggesting a new and less biased lawyer is now in charge of the internal appeal lodged by team boss Christian Horner's female accuser.

No comment, Dr Helmut Marko told Osterreich newspaper when asked about that report.

Tellingly, however, he is very careful with his words when asked if Verstappen might quit the team amid the ongoing turmoil.

Max wants to be in the fastest car, said Marko, who is on the opposing Austrian faction that is reportedly opposing Horner's push for extra power.

"And Max in this Red Bull is an unbeatable combination. But if you put Max in a Ferrari, things would look different. The 20 seconds that he is ahead of Checo (Perez) correspond to his (Verstappen's) driving superiority.

Max will drive where he has the best car, Marko reiterates, and he has that at Red Bull. Nothing else is on the horizon.

When asked about the wild prospect of him leaving Red Bull, Verstappen appeared to lay out his sole condition - peace and calm behind the scenes.

What I have always said from the beginning is that we want a peaceful and calm environment, the Dutchman is quoted as saying by Diario Sport.

"I think lately we have been talking about the car and performance, so I am already very happy about that. That's how it should be.

Of course, as long as I'm happy with the team, there will never be a reason to leave, the 26-year-old added.

(GMM)