Max Verstappen's father offered a warning about the future of Red Bull Racing as team principal Christian Horner's controversy over allegations of misconduct towards a team employee engulfed Formula One ahead of the start of the season.
Former F1 star Jos Verstappen told The Daily Mail that the Red Bull team will “explode” if Horner remains as manager.
“There is tension here as long as he remains in office,” he told the UK-based newspaper. “The team is in danger of being destroyed. It can't continue as it is. It's going to explode. He's playing the victim, when he's the one causing the problems.”
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Max Verstappen and Christian Horner celebrate after the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 2, 2024. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen won Saturday's Bahrain Grand Prix to start the season where he left off in 2023. As the 2024 season should have been greeted with enthusiasm, the controversy at Red Bull was the talk of the track.
The team's parent company on Wednesday dismissed a complaint of alleged misconduct by Horner toward a team employee.
However, on Thursday, during practice for the race, a file allegedly containing evidence against Horner, including text messages, was emailed to almost 200 people in the F1 paddock, including Liberty Media, F1, the FIA , team managers and media. according to The Associated Press.
Jos Verstappen was accused of leaking the file, but he denied it.
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Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, arrives before the first free practice for the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, Austria, on July 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
Horner has maintained his innocence.
“I will not comment on anonymous speculation, but again, I have always denied the allegations,” according to a statement read to reporters by a team spokesperson on Thursday, attributed to Horner.
“I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and cooperated fully with it every step of the way. “It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist lawyer and concluded by dismissing the complaint filed. “I'm still totally focused on the start of the season.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem told the Financial Times that the controversy surrounding Horner was “damaging the sport” but that the FIA would not carry out its own investigation unless a complaint was made.
It said any complaints filed with its compliance office would be investigated, but it has not received any.
Max Verstappen celebrates after placing first during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
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“It's damaging the sport,” Ben Sulayem said. “This is harmful on a human level.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
