Christian Horner’s departure as Red Bull boss will not affect Max Verstappen’s future with Mercedes move rumoured.

Max Verstappen has insisted that Christian Horner’s shock departure as team boss of Red Bull will have no impact on his future plans.

The four-time world champion, who has been linked with a move to Mercedes next year, suggested on Thursday that he expects to stay with Red Bull until the conclusion of his current contract in 2028.

Speaking to reporters in the paddock before this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, one of his “home” races as he was born in Belgium and his mother is Belgian, the 27-year-old Dutchman said he was concerned only with improving the speed and performance of his car.

The rest, he said, was not of great interest to him, adding that past tensions between Horner and his father, Jos Verstappen, had no bearing on decisions about his future.

Asked if Horner’s exit after 20 years as team boss made it more probable that he would stay at Red Bull next year, Verstappen said, “No, it doesn’t. Not really.”

He said the well-publicised discord between his father and Horner was never a problem.

“People can have a difference of opinion, and I expect that to happen because if everyone agrees, there is a problem.

“You need to have differences in opinion. Now, we will work in a different direction, and I am excited about it, and I don’t think it will matter at all for the decision over my future.

“The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can and try and be more competitive this year, a little bit, but for sure with the new regulations next year.”

Verstappen had earlier welcomed the appointment of Frenchman Laurent Mekies, promoted from junior team Racing Bulls, as Horner’s successor and clearly sensed that it could usher in a stronger technical and engineering focus at the team.

He gave an oblique response when asked if he had a decision to make about his future.

“There is also the possibility of not waking up tomorrow, and so there is no driving.

“Life is unpredictable and, in general, I am happy with where I am at.”

He added, “The target was that when I signed my deal, I would drive here until the end of my career.”

Verstappen will be hoping to end the speculation and give both the team and new boss Mekies a boost with a convincing performance this weekend on his favourite circuit.

The Dutchman finds himself in the unaccustomed position of third in the drivers’ standings, behind leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, both of McLaren.

Santino Ferrucci says his injured right hand has mostly healed from the morning warmup crash on Sunday at Toronto and he’ll be ready to race this weekend at the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey – once he completes just over 1,500 miles of highway travel through the Southwest.

“The swelling of my hand has actually almost gone down by 100 percent,” the AJ Foyt Racing driver told RACER. “I have probably 90-percent grip strength, which is good. I’m hoping by the time we get to the race, or at least get to California, we’re good and all the way back. Yeah, my knuckle still has a nice blood-colored look on it but could be worse.”

The trip to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca marks the end of a four-week, five-race sprint for the IndyCar Series. Where most participants would want to get in and out of Monterey as quickly as possible to maximize their downtime before racing resumes on August 10 in Portland, Ferrucci went in the opposite direction.

The Connecticut native chose to skip another round of flights and rental cars and the rest by climbing into his motorcoach with a friend and take Interstate 40 due west from his home in Dallas, Texas. Spending a few days on the road ahead of the intense July IndyCar racing finish line in California felt like the best way to recharge his battery.

“It’s just nice to do a road trip and mentally reset and put everything behind,” he said. “We’ve been having an amazing season. You have something like that at Toronto, you don’t want to let it get to you, and you just carry on.

“My dad, back in the day, we had the karting team and we just spent a lot of time on the open road. I’ve done the cross-country trek, but I’ve never done one from Dallas. Always started in the Northeast and driven across the top of the country. So driving through New Mexico and Arizona, it’s new territory for me. It’s beautiful out here.”

Could Legacy Motor Club be a destination for Daniel Suarez in 2026? Suarez is set to depart Trackhouse Racing after five seasons, and questions are swirling as to where he could end up next year.

There aren’t many options, but Legacy Motor Club was considered a potential path for the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. Legacy is actively trying to secure a third charter, but the team is also in the middle of a contentious lawsuit with Rick Ware Racing, who they tried to purchase a charter from.

They already field too full-time entries with John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 and Erik Jones No. 43, while team co-owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson competes part-time in the No. 84 car. 

Johnson responds

Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club Toyota

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Speaking in a Wednesday media availability, Johnson responded to the possibility of bringing Suarez into the organization.

“First and foremost, Danny is a great friend and somebody I stay in touch with,” said Johnson. I kind of knew his situation from a friend standpoint for a while. Great talent. Very popular. Can really perform on any track, has great sponsorship interest. A well-rounded modern-day NASCAR athlete.

“The real opportunity for any team owner. I would love to think about him seriously, but I don’t have a seat, on top of the fact I’m not sure if and when we’ll get a seat as we’re trying to acquire our third charter.

“I would look hard at him if we were prepared and ready and moving in that direction. In this instance, I highly doubt timing is going to work out. I think he’s a great talent and should have plenty of options.”

So, at the time, the answer appears to be ‘I would if I could’ from Legacy Motor Club. Johnson also guaranteed that they are not giving up their pursuit of a third charter, but no timetable has been set for when that could happen.

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Read on to learn all about this unforgettable event and get your tickets today—plus, see how your pet could be the face of next year’s gala!

This unforgettable gala supports life-changing Animal-Assisted Therapy

Now in its 24th year, Picasso Pets is a signature annual gala benefiting Hand in Paw, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing positive distraction, motivation, empathy and compassion to people in need through calming animal-assisted therapy.

The theme of this year’s gala—”Paws of Valor”—honors the extraordinary impact of Hand in Paw’s two- and four-legged heroes while informing the dress code for the evening.

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The evening will include a seated dinner and awards ceremony honoring Hand in Paw’s mission and impact in the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa communities.

Bonus: VIP ticket holders are invited to an exclusive VIP Experience from 5PM to 6PM, featuring live music, hors d’oeuvres, top-shelf cocktails, an early sneak peek at the 2025 Picasso Pets paintings and a self-guided tour of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

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Margaret Stinnett, Executive Director, Hand in Paw

Your four-legged friend could be the face of next year’s Picasso Pets

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NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson has admitted that while he would love to offer Daniel Suarez a route back into the Cup Series once his time with Trackhouse Racing comes to a close, his team, Legacy Motor Club, isn’t in a position to give him a lifeline.

Suarez, 33, is set to leave Trackhouse and the No. 99 Chevrolet after the conclusion of the 2025 Cup Series season, as was announced by the team back in July. This will mark the end of the Mexican-American star’s five-year stint with the team, which began with him becoming their first-ever full-time Cup Series driver.

Now, without a seat for the upcoming season, and with the outlook far from optimistic with few, if any, seats set to open up, it remains to be seen if Suarez will have a future in the Cup Series.

“First and foremost, Danny is a great friend and somebody I stay in touch with,” seven-time champion Johnson said on Wednesday, via Motorsport. “I kind of knew his situation from a friend standpoint for a while. Great talent. Very popular. Can really perform on any track, has great sponsorship interest. A well-rounded modern-day NASCAR athlete.

“The real opportunity for any team owner. I would love to think about him seriously, but I don’t have a seat, on top of the fact, I’m not sure if and when we’ll get a seat as we’re trying to acquire our third charter.

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“I would look hard at him if we were prepared and ready and moving in that direction. In this instance, I highly doubt timing is going to work out. I think he’s a great talent and should have plenty of options.”

Currently, Legacy has a strong lineup with John Hunter Nemechek at the wheel of the No. 42 Toyota and Erik Jones driving the No. 43. Johnson also continues to participate in races sporadically in the No. 84, including a third-place finish at the Daytona 500 in February.

Since being rebranded as Legacy Motor Club in 2023, the team has yet to reach victory lane, with Jones and Johnson having only cracked the top five three times combined this season.

Legacy is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against Rick Ware Racing, with Johnson’s team looking to acquire their charter. Making the situation that much more tricky is that recently, Legacy also sued T.J. Puchyr, who had agreed to buy RWR, after he had brokered the deal between Legacy and RCR. This latest lawsuit alleged Puchyr used inside knowledge in order to block Johnson’s team from purchasing the aforementioned charter.

With this third seat up in the air, this seemingly leaves Suarez without any realistic options at this time as 2026 rapidly approaches. With nine Cup Series seasons under his belt, Suarez has 71 top 10 finishes and two wins, most recently at Atlanta in February 2024.

This season, Suarez finished a high of second in Las Vegas, failing to reach the top 10 in any of his last 10 races. However, he did win his sole Xfinity race of this season, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in Mexico City.