Verstappen Confirms Red Bull Racing Entangled in Internal Power Battle
Mar.5 - Jos Verstappen has admitted that the Christian Horner scandal is also a "power struggle" involving Red Bull's Austrian and Thai shareholding factions.
As Formula 1 heads to Saudi Arabia for round two of the 2024 world championship, the Horner saga rolls on - and it's only getting worse not just for the embattled boss but also the entire and otherwise-dominant Red Bull team.
"The team can put up with it at the moment, but it's still in everyone's minds," former Haas boss Gunther Steiner told Bild newspaper. "So it has to end soon.
"But when I read what Jos Verstappen is saying, it's clear it will stay with us for a while. But the soap opera must end."
Verstappen, who is championship leader Max Verstappen's father, hinted in Bahrain that although Horner was cleared by an internal investigation, it cannot even be ruled out that Max will leave the team over the crisis.
Max Verstappen, 26, might even be allowed to leave - potentially to switch to Mercedes - under the terms of his 2028 contract, given that his deal is tied to the ongoing involvement at Red Bull of Dr Helmut Marko.
Marko has now Speed Week that losing Verstappen could be impossible for Red Bull to immediately recover from.
"Some people think that Red Bull Racing is so well positioned that they can replace anyone," he said. "Wrong, you can't replace Max that easily."
As for the Horner situation, Marko told Auto Bild: "The internal investigations have been completed. I won't say anything more about that."
As for the Verstappen-Mercedes rumours, he added: "As far as I'm concerned, I won't stand in Max's way."
If Verstappen and Marko do leave, it is believed designer Adrian Newey may follow them out of the door. Jos Verstappen insists the chances of an exodus at Red Bull are real, and would leave Horner stranded alone - perhaps also without the involvement of Ford for the 2026 engine project.
"There is no piece of paper that gets between us," Jos, who will not be in Jeddah this weekend as he is taking part in a rally, told the Swiss newspaper Blick.
"We will act and do what suits Max best, even if we are of course fully behind the parent company in Austria in the power struggle."
It is rumoured that the entire Horner scandal was triggered not by revelations of his alleged affair with a female staff member, but by behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to seize control of Red Bull Racing by teaming up with the company's 51 percent Thai shareholder and British investors.
The coup may have spectacularly failed.
F1 legend Gerhard Berger commented on Monday: "As of now, Horner stays, Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey quit, and Max goes to Mercedes."
Respected journalist Bianca Garloff noted: "This is about more than Formula 1 - the future of the whole of Red Bull is currently at stake."
Horner is said to have met on Monday for crisis talks with Max Verstappen's manager, Raymond Vermeulen.
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Stupid disruptive talk by a power hungry J V. As he has said himself ‘ why would he want his son to leave the best team in F1. The competition must be rubbing their hands in glee. Someone wants to jump in and take over the team at the beginning of the season when all the hard work has already been done by CH.
They should beware of upsetting the Thais, their methods of doing business are final and not negotiable.
Why does CH seem so certain he is going nowhere?
Respected journalist Bianca Garloff noted: "This is about more than Formula 1 - the future of the whole of Red Bull is currently at stake
Bit dramatic......... the share structure of who owns which 49%/50%/51% is pretty irrelevant, Red Bull is far more than F1, more headline grabbing b**locks Imo
Pete Windsors usually in the know, as is Eddie Jordan, but both have very quiet on this .
Lenda F1 Gerhard Berger comentou na segunda-feira: "A partir de agora, Horner fica, Helmut Marko e Adrian Newey saem e Max vai para a Mercedes."
Confio plenamente que isso vai acontecer!!!