Max Verstappen is reportedly contemplating ditching Red Bull amid the controversy that has engulfed group principal Christian Horner.
Horner was exonerated by Red Bull Racing’s mother or father firm, Red Bull GmbH, following an inside probe into allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” concerning an unnamed feminine colleague. That was earlier than tons of of WhatsApp messages, allegedly purporting to be between Horner and the colleague, had been then leaked to the F1 world.
Despite that, Horner vowed to proceed as group boss, just for Verstappen’s dad, Jos, to pour extra gas on the hearth by publically lambasting his son’s boss. The former F1 racer advised the Daily Mail: “There is pressure right here whereas he [Horner] stays in place.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen ‘rejected FIA president plea’ to publicly again under-fire Christian Horner
READ MORE: Max Verstappen’s dad accuses Christian Horner of ‘taking part in the sufferer’ in explosive feedback
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“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”
Jos made comparable feedback to Dutch title De Telegraaf. Meanwhile, different experiences have claimed Verstappen Snr and Horner had a stand-up row in the beginning of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
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Jos has denied being concerned within the nameless drive of messages which was despatched to virtually 150 F1 personnel and media. He insisted: “That wouldn’t make sense. Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?”
However, the obvious turmoil inside F1’s dominant group has led to hypothesis that Max may transfer on, regardless of the very fact his Red Bull contract runs to 2028. There is a emptiness at Mercedes for 2025 after Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell determination to signal for Ferrari.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Jos had been noticed in dialog in each the Bahrain paddock and at their lodge. According to the Telegraph, Jos has advised pals he’ll transfer his son from Red Bull if he has to.
(Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Wolff was gushing in his reward of Max over the weekend. Speaking after the race, which the world champion dominated from begin to end, the Austrian mentioned: “Max is in a different league, a different galaxy. We just have to acknowledge his performance levels. The performance was extraordinary.”
Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing have issued an announcement, insisting that the group is united. The temporary assertion mentioned: “There are no issues here. The team are united and we are focused on racing.”