Jos Verstappen, father of Max Verstappen, has acknowledged the existence of a contentious situation at Red Bull Racing amidst the ongoing controversy involving Christian Horner.
As the Formula 1 circus descends upon Australia for the upcoming Grand Prix, the cloud of the Horner scandal looms large over the sport.
The female staff member of Red Bull who leveled accusations of ‘inappropriate behavior’ against Horner is appealing the decision that absolved the team principal of any misconduct. This appeal ensures that the controversy remains a focal point, refusing to fade away quickly or quietly.
The uncertainty surrounding Horner’s future, compounded by his marriage to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and his professional ties to Max and various Red Bull executives, fuels speculation within the paddock.
The saga persists, with conflicting opinions among the owners of the Formula 1 champions regarding whether Horner should be dismissed. Notably, Jos Verstappen himself had publicly advocated for Horner’s dismissal following the season opener in Bahrain.
Amidst these tensions, footage emerged of Jos engaging in a heated argument with Horner before the Bahrain race, followed by his absence from the subsequent event in Saudi Arabia. Whether Jos will be present in Melbourne remains uncertain.
The seeds of discord had been sown long before the scandal erupted, with reports of simmering tensions among Horner, the Verstappen family, Red Bull executives, and team advisor Helmut Marko. These tensions trace back to the passing of Red Bull’s founder and owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, in 2022.
Despite efforts to downplay these internal conflicts, Jos Verstappen’s confirmation of the ‘power struggle’ once again thrusts the issue into the spotlight.
The former F1 driver stated; “It’s definitely hard for the outside world to follow.
“I think it is a necessity for them to get calm within the team, but given the circumstances, I think it will continue for a while. I’m curious, but it doesn’t help the whole process.
“There is definitely a certain power struggle going on. We’ll see, I can’t say too much about it.
“I hope peace returns soon and they start concentrating on racing because that’s what it’s all about. But this is not good.”
Red Bull Racing has commenced the 2024 season flawlessly, achieving back-to-back 1-2 finishes with Max Verstappen leading Sergio Perez across the finish line in the first two races. However, their on-track triumphs have been overshadowed by the ongoing saga off the circuit.
Max Verstappen, known for his focus on racing matters, has been reluctant to engage in discussions regarding the off-track turmoil. Despite this, when questioned about his father Jos’ previous remarks, Max emphasized that his dad was ‘not a liar.’
Jos added: “I don’t know what to do. The most important thing for us is that Max keeps winning and he is doing that. The car is very good and between the engineers and Max, there is nothing going on, so that is also good.
“Max knows how to get that part out too, but he gets a lot of questions about what’s going on and he doesn’t like that. But that’s also part of it, the other side of Formula One.”
