Red Bull's Formula 1 tsar has lifted the lid on why he believes Max Verstappen will "stay with us forever" - and why controversial ex-team boss Christian Horner had to go. Oliver Mintzlaff will also be praying for a quieter year after a tumultuous 2025 saw the Austrian team engulfed in an off-track scandal, infighting, the departure of three key chiefs and a mixed bag of results only saved by the brilliance of Verstappen.

Head of sporting projects Mintzlaff is also not worried about a clause allowing the four-time world champion to tear up his contract if the team does not match his performance expectations. Verstappen has the option to go next summer if Red Bull are not in the top three.

In a rare interview, Mintzlaff declared: "I'm not afraid of any performance clause in Max's contract. I believe that Max will remain loyal to us. He is impressed with the way the results and the atmosphere in the team have turned out."

Mintzlaff refers to a chaotic year for Red Bull in which Horner was deposed after 20 years in charge. After the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022, the company's new Austrian leadership grew frustrated with the amount of power wielded by Red Bull Racing's team principal and CEO.

Accusations of inappropriate behaviour against Horner by a female colleague, though they were dismissed by an independent KC, were an unwelcome distraction. As was subsequent infighting with Verstappen's father Jos and former team adviser Helmut Marko both taking on Horner. Several high-profile departures, most notably legendary designer Adrian Newey quitting for Aston Martin, did not help.

So when results dipped in the first half of last season, Red Bull's Austrian leaders pulled the trigger and installed Laurent Mekies, a far more reserved and less divisive figure, in Horner's place. Reflecting on that dramatic twist, Mintzlaff said there were "too many issues" to ignore.

He said: "We knew we had to do something. Christian has a great track record with the team and has achieved a lot of success. Everyone here in the company, myself included, appreciates him for what he has done. But you can't keep relying on history, and we felt it was time to turn the page and start a new chapter.

"It wasn't an easy decision, but we didn't rush into it either. There always comes a time when things aren't going well and then as a company you have to make a decision. Are you going to give someone more time, or is it time for a new leader? We felt it was time for a change.

"It was an open secret that there were too many issues within and around the team. That's distracting. In recent months, we've seen that performance improves when everyone is 100 percent focused. And even without the best car, Max still almost won the championship and won the most races of anyone."

Keeping hold of Verstappen, 28, is vital to Red Bull's long-term plans. But Mintzlaff is remarkably calm about the situation despite question marks over Red Bull's new engines, designed and built in-house for the first time with the assistance of Ford.

He said: "Max always wants to win and have the best possible car, but so do we. As long as Max feels that we are working on that and doing everything we can, I think he will remain loyal to us. For me, there is no doubt that Max Verstappen will end his career at Red Bull."