Horner situation can’t continue – Jos Verstappen

The controversy surrounding Red Bull boss Christian Horner is “driving people apart”, says the father of the team’s F1 champion Max Verstappen.

An anonymous email including messages purporting to involve Horner were leaked on Thursday, a day after Red Bull dismissed a complaint of inappropriate behaviour against him.

Horner has refused to say if the leaked messages are genuine.

“It cannot continue this way,” said former F1 driver Jos Verstappen.

“The situation is not good for the team and is driving people apart.”

Verstappen also denied that he was the source of the leaks concerning Horner.

The 51-year-old, who was talking to the De Telegraaf newspaper in the Netherlands, said: “But why would I do that? Max has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, is performing great and feels at home here. I have no interest in that at all.”

Verstappen made similar comments to the Daily Mail, saying Red Bull would “explode” if Horner remained in his position, adding: “He is playing the victim when he is the one causing problems.”

Verstappen told BBC Sport he had made the comments to the two newspapers after a falling out with Horner in Bahrain.

He added that Max had seen the comments and did not say anything.

BBC Sport has approached Red Bull for comment.

Verstappen’s intervention is potentially significant because his son wields major influence within Red Bull as a result of his success on the track.

It also reflects internal tensions known to exist within Red Bull, between Horner, the team principal, and the company’s motorsport adviser Helmut Marko; and between the Thai majority owners and executives at the headquarters in Austria.

Last year, the Verstappens backed Austrian Marko after he had a falling out with Horner.

The company ownership is split, with 51% owned by the Thai Yoovidhya family and 49% by Red Bull in Austria, under Mark Mateschitz, the son of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in October 2022.

Max Verstappen started his campaign for a fourth consecutive world title with a dominant win at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday.

In the build-up to the race in Bahrain, the defending champion was asked four times whether he had full confidence and faith in Horner as Red Bull team principal and each time he gave only qualified support.

The Horner controversy dominated events at the season-opening race.

A day after Red Bull announced that the grievance against him had been “dismissed” following an internal inquiry, an anonymous email including messages purporting to involve Horner was leaked.

Horner said: “I’m not going to comment on anonymous, speculative messages from an unknown source.”

He added that he was “absolutely” confident he would be in his role for the entire season.

“I’ve always been entirely confident that I would be here,” he said.

“There was a full, lengthy internal process that was completed by an independent KC. And the grievance that was raised was dismissed. End of. Move on.”

An attempt to get him to say whether the messages were genuine was shut down by a Red Bull public relations handler.

Red Bull have refused to release the name of the lawyer involved or give any further the details about either the report that was compiled or how they reached their decision.

Horner’s wife Geri visited the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday in an apparent display of unity after the topic had dominated the days leading up to the race.

Chalerm Yoovidhya, head of the Thai family that co-owns Red Bull, was also at the race. Yoovidhya declined to answer BBC Sport’s questions.

F1’s governing body the FIA said it was discussing the matter with commercial rights holder F1 Management.