Max Verstappen has declared he will remain with Red Bull as long as the team environment stays "peaceful and calm."
Speculation has been rampant for several months regarding a potential departure by the three-time world champion from his 2028 agreement with Red Bull, amidst a fiery leadership dispute among the team's two warring factions.
The recent relative silence regarding the dispute could be related to the instability of Verstappen's ongoing position, even though new reports hint at the appointment of a new and less partial lawyer for the ongoing Christian Horner investigation.
"No comment," Dr. Helmut Marko responded to inquiries from Osterreich newspaper about the recent developments.
Marko then chose his words cautiously when questioned whether Verstappen could consider leaving due to the ongoing unrest within the team.
"Max wants to be in the fastest car," Marko stated, aligning himself with the Austrian faction opposed to Horner's supposed demand for increased authority.
"And Max in this Red Bull is an unbeatable combination. But if you put Max in a Ferrari, things would look different. The 20 seconds that he is ahead of Checo (Perez) correspond to his (Verstappen's) driving superiority.
"Max will drive where he has the best car," Marko affirmed, "and he has that at Red Bull. Nothing else is on the horizon."
Verstappen, when probed about the unlikely scenario of his exit from Red Bull, pointed to the sole criterion of maintaining tranquility and stability behind the scenes.
"What I have always said from the beginning is that we want a peaceful and calm environment," the Dutch racer is quoted by Diario Sport.
"I think lately we have been talking about the car and performance, so I am already very happy about that. That's how it should be.
"Of course, as long as I'm happy with the team, there will never be a reason to leave," added the 26-year-old Verstappen.
