Verstappen is “invaluable” to Red Bull, says Horner · F1 · RaceFans

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described Max Verstappen as “invaluable” to the team after his victory last weekend brought him within touching distance of a fourth world championship title.

Verstappen climbed 14 places to win at a soaked Interlagos. It was his first victory in a grand prix since June, during which time Red Bull have found themselves increasingly under pressure from rivals McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.

As a result the team has fallen to third place in the constructors’ championship. Verstappen’s team mate Sergio Perez hasn’t finished in the top five over the last 15 rounds. Horner said he couldn’t put a price on Verstappen’s value to the team.

“Max is invaluable,” he told Sky. “It’s impossible to put a number on. That was a champion’s drive, and there’s some great drivers out there, as we all know, but to stand out and shine like that today – that marks him out, I think, with some of the greats now.

“The way he’s driven, even when we had a difficult car this year, he’s never given up. He’s gone about collecting the points and he’s always trying to get the maximum out of the car.

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season. However the loss of several top names from the team’s technical division, including star designer Adrian Newey, as well as the team’s impending move away from Honda’s power units, has prompted speculation he could seek an earlier exit. Mercedes is known to have courted him for 2025 before settling on Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.

Horner has no doubt Verstappen is the benchmark for modern racing drivers. “In the wet and in the dry, he’s the best in the world at the moment,” he said.

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