Amid fresh comments from Mercedes chief Wolff about the ongoing possibility of Verstappen walking away from Red Bull and potentially to his team, Horner has issued a hard-hitting response.
With every indication to Red Bull from the Verstappen camp that the triple world champion is fully committed to his contract, Horner says Wolff is wasting his time dreaming that there is a chance of getting him.
Asked about Wolff’s ongoing hints about Verstappen potentially being available, Horner told the media: “Have you spoken to Max about this? Because if you speak to Max, it's not about pieces of paper at the end of the day.
“We know that he has a contract to the end of 2028. It's about how he feels in the team, the relationship he has in the team and the way he's performing. And I don't think Toto's problems are his drivers.
“I think he's probably got other elements that he needs to be focusing on rather than focusing on drivers that are unavailable.”
Wolff has made no secret of the fact that he would like Verstappen to be Lewis Hamilton’s replacement, but he is equally aware that his hopes are not made easy by the fact his team’s 2024 car is not that competitive at the moment.
However, speaking in China, Wolff suggested that factors beyond pure performance would ultimately decide Verstappen’s future.
Source: Autosport