Verstappen sent Horner CLEAR message before Newey bombshell

Max Verstappen sent a clear message to Christian Horner weeks before the news that Adrian Newey was set to leave Red Bull.

Reports on Thursday revealed that the legendary chief engineer was to depart the Milton Keynes-based squad due to the situation surrounding the RBR team principal.

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Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation by the team after he was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ towards a female colleague, with fresh evidence due to be heard soon.

The matter is said to have unsettled Newey with a rumoured power struggle within the team between the Thai side of the ownership (who backed Horner) and Red Bull GmbH (who initially wanted to remove Horner from the team).

Verstappen highlights Newey importance to Horner

The situation has thrown the future of several key figures within the team into uncertainty, including chief advisor Helmut Marko and three-time champion Verstappen, and the latter made it clear to Horner about Newey’s importance within the team.

Speaking at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Dutchman said: "We have a lot of people working on the car right, so it's a whole team effort that has to come together.

"Everyone's ideas get taken into account and you build the car that we have today, so yeah for sure, having someone part of the team like Adrian, I think it's a massive boost for everyone and many people work together to achieve the car we have today."

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It is likely that Newey’s departure will unsettle Verstappen and put his future into further doubt, with him currently being eyed by Mercedes as they look to replace the outgoing Lewis Hamilton.

"I signed a long deal,” Verstappen explained at the Chinese GP. “The only thing I said from the beginning is we want to have a peaceful environment, lately we have been talking about the car. I am happy about that, I am happy with the team and there has never been a reason to leave."

The 26-year-old is contracted to the team until 2028, but it was revealed that Verstappen has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave if Marko is sacked.

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