Christian Horner sets target for Max Verstappen after rumored Ferrari approach
Max Verstappen is bidding to win a fifth straight F1 title, but has been told by Christian Horner he needs to start beating at least one McLaren every weekend.
Max Verstappen has received a clear message: start consistently outperforming at least one McLaren each weekend or say farewell to dreams of a fifth consecutive Formula 1 championship. The Red Bull phenom is vying to join Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to clinch such a streak, dating back to Schumacher's golden era with Ferrari.
Currently lagging behind McLaren's faster cars, Verstappen trails both points leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Although he's the sole racer outside the McLaren duo to secure a win this season – achieving victory in two races – his team knows that sporadic success won't suffice.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner underlined the urgency ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix."We need to make sure that we take points off at least one of the McLarens this weekend," he declared Thursday.
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"We've got to start nibbling into... We're one race win away, 25 points in the scheme of the championship can disappear like that. So we have to keep in touch, we have to keep putting pressure on them and we have to put performance on the car.
"They're the fundamentals."
There has also been speculation around Horner's potential departure from Red Bull, following reports that Ferrari has made overtures toward the long-standing team leader. It's believed that top executives from the iconic Italian stable reached out to the 51-year-old, who has helmed Red Bull throughout its two-decade tenure in F1.
The strategy brings into question the current position of Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur. But Horner has been quick to dismiss any interest in taking over. He stated: "It's always very flattering to be associated with other teams, but my whole career has been spent with Red Bull and I'm absolutely committed to this team."
Sharing a press conference with Alpine chief Flavio Briatore, Horner further emphasized: "My commitment, 100 percent, is to Red Bull. It always has been and certainly will be for the long term. "There is a bunch of speculation always in this business, people coming there, people going there.
"People in the team know exactly what the situation is. My Italian is worse than Flavio's English so how on Earth would that work?" Horner also expressed his certainty that he will continue working with Verstappen next year, despite ongoing rumors about the Dutchman's future.
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It's believed that the performance clause in Verstappen's contract, which allows him to leave if he falls out of the top four drivers' standings, expires at the end of June. McLaren unsurprisingly led the practice yesterday with Norris dominating the first hour and Piastri finishing the day at the top of the timesheet.
However, Lewis Hamilton found himself stuck in 11th place, struggling with the balance of his Ferrari to such an extent that his former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg said he felt sorry for the seven-time world champion.
