Red Bull Racing is a team synonymous with speed, success, and, lately, controversy, as long-standing team principal Christian Horner has faced allegations of misconduct.
Jos Verstappen, father of Max Verstappen, gave some candid remarks to the Daily Mail, questioning Horner’s leadership, and warning of problems and internal tensions for Red Bull Racing if Horner remained at the team.
“There is tension here while he remains in position.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode.”
Talking directly about Horner, Jos Verstappen said: “He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”
Allegations by an employee against Horner of inappropriate behaviour prompted an investigation that lasted eight weeks, but the outcome Red Bull came to on Wednesday cleared Horner of any wrongdoing.
However, despite being cleared by the team, a collection of private images and messages via a Google Drive folder surfaced just 24 hours later, reigniting the controversy, and calling Red Bull’s decision into question.
The content was sent to F1 personnel, team principals, and the media, and quickly found its way onto social media, where it was scrutinised in the public sphere.
This development fuelled speculation and intensified calls for Horner’s resignation.
Many are now speculating that this move was specifically designed to push Horner out of the team for good and to damage his reputation beyond repair, regardless of the outcome of the investigation.
Amidst the drama, lead driver Max Verstappen has given considered responses to questions from the media, focusing on his loyalty to his team as a whole, but more importantly, on his pursuit of race wins and performance on the track.
“He has been an incredible team boss… so absolutely, from the performance side of things, you can’t even question that.”
Verstappen’s focus on the sport, and drive to succeed led the team to their first 1-2 victory of the season, with Sergio Perez securing the second spot on the podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
In response, a Red Bull spokesperson said: “There are no issues here. The team are united and we are focused on racing.”
