Max Verstappen will proceed to drive for Purple Bull subsequent yr, crew principal Christian Horner has acknowledged following rumours of a profitable provide from Aston Martin.
Purple Bull is going through additional hypothesis over their star driver’s future after he fell to 3rd place within the championship on the earlier spherical. The crew’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko final week claimed Verstappen might exploit an exit clause in his contract if he isn’t inside the highest three by the summer season break in August.
Requested whether or not Marko’s declare was true, Horner mentioned: “I feel ‘noise’ is precisely the appropriate phrase to explain it.”
“There’s been numerous noise exterior of the crew,” he advised Sky. “Contained in the crew, I feel Max once more reaffirmed his dedication yesterday.”
Horner mentioned Verstappen will “completely” proceed to drive for Purple Bull in 2026.
Verstappen’s dissatisfaction with the crew’s dip in efficiency final yr prompted claims he might transfer to a rival crew earlier than his present cope with Purple Bull ends in 2028. The primary rumours of an strategy from Aston Martin emerged earlier this yr.
Right this moment La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Aston Martin has offered Verstappen a three-year deal worth $300 million (£226m). The Italian newspaper claimed Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, which has spent closely on different sports activities, intends to purchase the crew and can finance the bid for the four-times world champion.
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Horner downplayed Marko’s fears Verstappen might go away the crew. “Persons are at all times going to have their considerations,” he mentioned. “As a crew we’re very a lot targeted on sorting this automotive out. Kind the automotive out, it doesn’t even develop into a dialogue level.”
Verstappen and crew mate Yuki Tsunoda ended the primary follow session on the backside of the highest 10. Horner mentioned the crew had “gone somewhat radical on among the set-up,” in that session.
“We’ve obtained a lot to take a look at. We ran the automobiles barely in another way as effectively, in order that we’ve obtained that info now to digest earlier than the second session.”
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