Max Verstappen may depart from Red Bull, as Christian Horner acknowledges.

As the team continues to feel the effects of yet another difficult weekend, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has issued a warning, saying there is no certainty the team can stay on to their three-time world champion Max Verstappen should he want to quit.

Verstappen’s second commanding victory of the season in Jeddah came after a contentious race meeting in Saudi Arabia, where Red Bull’s off-track problems greatly eclipsed the 26-year-old world champion’s threat to leave the company. Horner acknowledged that Red Bull would not be able to stop Verstappen from joining another team. In response to a question regarding Verstappen’s possible departure before his contract expires in 2028, Horner acknowledged that it was still a possibility.

You can’t make someone go somewhere just because of a piece of paper, he remarked, “it’s like anything in life.” We won’t push someone to be on this team against their will if they didn’t want to be on it. This holds true for anyone working in a support role within the company or as a machine operator or designer.

Horner insisted that despite the controversy during the weekend, he and Verstappen still had a great relationship, despite the fact that the driver seems to have aligned himself on the opposing side of the team’s division.

“With Max, everything is perfect,” Horner remarked. “He is contributing positively to the team. Both stress and tension are absent. His ease around the garage with all of the team members is evident, and it shows in how well he performs when he is on track. So, it appears that Max is in good health. We are now working as a team, and although I am aware of all the hubbub, it hasn’t stopped the team from doing its job.

Verstappen’s future and a possible switch to a different team was just the most recent issue to rock Horner’s struggling squad during yet another turbulent weekend for Red Bull. Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Horner’s investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior by a female employee, which resulted in a dismissed grievance, Red Bull Racing and its parent company Red Bull GmbH seem to be experiencing a genuine power struggle. This power struggle continued throughout the weekend and shows no signs of abating in the lead-up to the Australian Grand Prix on March 24.

Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s head of racing, announced on Friday that he was the subject of an investigation and could face punishment for allegedly leaking information about it. Verstappen quickly stepped up to support Marko, threatening to quit if the 80-year-old was taken out.