Sport goes in cycles, says Horner, as Verstappen rumours grow

SILVERSTONE, England : Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull to 2028 but the chances of the four-times Formula One world champion seeing it out are looking increasingly slim with team boss Christian Horner accepting next year, if not this, could be make or break.

Speaking at the British Grand Prix, Horner confirmed the existence of performance-related clauses that the sport's most sought-after driver can activate to leave early.

While Verstappen might be able to trigger them in a matter of weeks, according to some sources, it would be a gamble with a major chassis and engine change - the biggest for decades - coming in 2026.

One popular view in the paddock, despite constant speculation about a move to Mercedes, is that the Dutch 27-year-old is more likely to wait and see which way the wind is blowing before deciding for 2027.

"2026 is going to be a transformational year. It's the biggest rule change in Formula One probably in the last 50 years where both chassis and power unit are being introduced at the same time," said Horner.

"Nobody, with hand on heart, can know what the pecking order is going to be... It could be Ferrari. It could be Mercedes. It could be anyone.

"It'll only be really this time next year that you'll have a clear indication of what that pecking order is. So, there are no guarantees that jumping into a Mercedes car would automatically be a better proposition."

VETTEL EXAMPLE

That said, and despite claiming Verstappen wanted to see out his career at Red Bull, Horner offered a history lesson to illustrate that Red Bull was prepared for change regardless.

He recalled how Sebastian Vettel, another four-times Red Bull world champion, had joined Ferrari a year after a major rule change in 2014 had begun an