Christian Horner and Jos Verstappen have not engaged in direct communication since Verstappen made his sensational comments about the Red Bull team principal.
Horner remains firm that he and Jos Verstappen can now “move on,” despite the recent controversial remarks made by Max’s father.
Before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, an independent investigation absolved Horner of allegations of ‘inappropriate behavior’ made by a female Red Bull employee.
Following this, Horner stood defiantly against claims circulated via email by an anonymous source, alleging WhatsApp conversations between him and the woman in question, which reached various influential figures within F1 and the FIA, as well as numerous media outlets.
During the Bahrain International Circuit race day, Jos Verstappen directed his focus towards Horner, indicating brewing tension within the team that could erupt if the 50-year-old didn’t depart.
On Monday, Horner held discussions with Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, in Dubai to clear the air. While the conversation was positive, Horner opted out of attending Verstappen’s 52nd birthday celebrations that evening.
In his first response to Verstappen’s comments, Horner stated: “Look, I’m obviously aware of the comments that were made.
“There was a discussion subsequent to the race, and I think everybody’s focus is very much on the future. The team’s focus is very much on defending both of these world titles that we’ve fought so hard to achieve. We’re all looking forward.”
When prompted to elaborate on the precise details of the conversations, Horner declined to do so, stating: “I’m not going to air all the discussions. That’s private between the parties.
“But discussions have inevitably been had and the team is focused on the challenges that are ahead of us, the season ahead, and whilst we’ve had a very dominant race in Bahrain, we don’t expect that to be the case in future races.
“We’re acutely aware of our competitors. You don’t achieve the kind of results that we’ve had by not being a united team, to win the race by the margin that we did, to achieve a one-two finish, fastest lap, pole position. You need to be working in total harmony to achieve those kinds of races.”
However, Horner did confirm that there had been no direct discussion with Verstappen regarding his comments.
He further stated; “I spoke to Jos following the grand prix and obviously congratulated him on his son’s performance. I think it’s in everybody’s interests, collectively, that we’ve agreed to move on, to focus on the future.
“We both have a vested interest in his son, to provide the best cars for him and to get the best out of him. He’s started the season in the best possible way. He’s an outstanding talent and hopefully, we can continue to provide him with a very competitive car.”
