Jos, 52, has positioned himself against the Red Bull boss, Christian Hornerand said at last week’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix that the team was at risk of disintegrating if the Briton remained in charge.
The father’s comments Verstappen sparked fears that the Dutch driver would seek a new destination for the 2025 season. Mercedes has a vacancy as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will leave for Ferrari at the end of the current campaign.
“I’m just focusing on driving and I think that’s also the most important thing for the team right now”said Verstappen, 26, told reporters in Jeddah ahead of Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when asked if he agreed with his father.
“That’s also the reason we came here and that’s our main goal and what we want to focus on, is not having these things race after race because that’s not good for the team.”
When asked if he sees any circumstances why he might not race for Red Bull next year, the Dutch driver responded: “Things must get very crazy”.
Red Bull won 21 of 22 races last season with the most dominant car in F1 history.
Verstappen, who won 19 of them, began the season with a ‘grand slam’ that included pole position, victory, fastest lap and lead in all laps.
What did Max Verstappen’s father say?
The former Dutch pilot Jos Verstappenfather of the current three-time world champion Formula 1, Max VerstappenI consider that Red Bull “is going to explode” if he keeps the British in sports management Christian Horneraccused of inappropriate behavior with an employee but acquitted by the team after completing an internal investigation.
“There is tension as long as he remains in office. The team risks tearing itself apart. It cannot continue like this. It is going to explode. (Horner) Plays the victim when he is the one who is at the root of the problems”assured the father of Verstappen to the British newspaper Daily Mailafter his son’s victory in the Bahrain Grand Prixfirst date of the season 2024.
Director of Red Bull reaffirmed his innocence over the weekend in Middle East and safe “It has never been so strong” after the Austrian company announced that its internal investigation by an external lawyer had not found sufficient evidence to prove the facts of which it was accused.
Horner, married to the former Spice Girl Geri Halliwellwho accompanied him Bahrainalways denied the facts and was convinced after the GP that his position was not at risk. “A complete and lengthy internal process was carried out and the alleged accusation has been rejected. End of story”said.
But the case was revived again when in recent days with the sending of an anonymous email, which contained especially messages from WhatsApp supposedly written by Horner, to journalists specialized in F1 already responsible for other teams.
Jos Verstappen He disassociated himself from the origin of that information leaked to the media, saying: “That doesn’t make sense, why would I do something like that when Max is doing so well here?”
In any case, after a scandal it does not seem to find an end in sight, the rumors of a possible move of Maxi Verstappen to Mercedes They began to circulate with greater force in the last few hours, points out the specialized site Motorsport.
Horner50 years old, directs Red Bull since his entry into the F1 World Championship in 2005 and won the seven titles that appear in the team’s record, four in a row with the German Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) and the three most recent with Verstappen (2021-2023).
Formula 1 waiting for Max Vertappen
Any Formula One team would want Max Verstappen if they gave him the opportunity to hire him, the Mercedes driver said on Wednesday George Russellamid speculation linking the three-time Red Bull world champion with the German manufacturer.
The father of Verstappen, Jos has fallen out with Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who was acquitted last week of misconduct following accusations against him by a team employee.
Verstappen father had told the Daily Mail that the team would “explode” if Horner stayed. He was also seen with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff during the season’s opening weekend in Bahrain, raising questions about his son’s future despite Max being under contract until 2028.
Mercedes has a vacancy for 2025 to fill his lineup alongside Russell following seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave for Ferrari.
“I think any team wants to have the best driver line-up possible,” Russell told reporters before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah when asked if he could see Verstappen in Mercedes.
“Right now Max is the best driver on the grid“So if any team had the opportunity to sign Max, they would take advantage of it 100%.”
Verstappen He has won the last three drivers’ titles and 19 of the 22 races last season.
On Saturday he surpassed his teammate Sergio Perez by more than 22 seconds after leading every lap and setting the fastest lap.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
