THE OVERTAKE

Australian Grand Prix with Daniel Moxon

POLE POSITION:

RED BULL’S decision to prioritise Christian Horner’s future over Max Verstappen’s will no doubt be a surprise to many.

But insiders tell me the Formula One constructors’ champions really are prepared to let their star driver leave, if they feel one of them needs to go.

Many people will think that is a ludicrous stance to take.

How can you let the man who has won the past three drivers’ titles, and looks set to stroll unopposed to a fourth, simply walk away?

Team principal Horner was cleared of inappropriate behaviour, which he has always denied, but the Red Bull employee who complained has appealed that decision – and his continued presence in the race team remains a distraction.

It comes back to that age-old question: when an F1 team is successful, how much is down to the driver and how much of it is the car?

Verstappen, below, has driven at a consistently high level that none of his peers have been able to match.

But it is also true that his Red Bull car has been in a league of its own compared to the other machines on the grid. Red Bull clearly think their long-serving leader would be harder to replace than their allconquering driver. One senior insider even suggested there might be five other racers on the grid who could match Verstappen’s exploits in the same car.

Five might be a stretch, but there are surely a few who would do a better job than the Dutchman’s team-mate Sergio Perez.

So, it is easy to see how Red Bull think finding the next Max Verstappen might be a simpler task than replacing their leader of 20 years.