Max Verstappen shared that the Formula 1 paddock feels "less stressful" following Christian Horner's exit, emphasizing that constant tension between teams isn't ideal. Verstappen, who celebrated his first victory of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, has won all four of his world championships with Red Bull Racing under Horner's leadership.

Verstappen remarked on Horner's potential return, acknowledging that he has done a great job in the past. He stated, "Of course, people spread a lot of rumours and I don't know how much of that is true. I don't want to sound rude, but it is also not my problem or concern."

Verstappen also recently signed a four-year deal with Red Bull, having considered other teams like McLaren. When asked about a possible switch to Ferrari, he clarified his priorities:

I only want to win. I am very performance-driven, and I have won a lot with this team already. It is a second family at Red Bull.

He expressed respect for the Ferrari brand but questioned the value of driving in lower positions, saying, "what's the point?"

As for his future in F1, Verstappen does not foresee racing until the age of 46 like Fernando Alonso. He mentioned, "Staying here until then would mean I have dedicated more than half of my life to Formula 1, and that is probably a bit too much." He aims to evaluate his commitment after his new contract and desires to spend more time at home with his family.