Off-track discussion continues to create headlines for Red Bull as Jos Verstappen doubled down on statements that the team is “in danger of being split apart”; Christian Horner admits he’s aware of the “rumblings”; Max Verstappen made it back-to-back wins to start 2024 with victory on Saturday.
Despite a faultless start to the new season, with one-twos in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Red Bull is still under scrutiny following the end of Horner’s investigation, which resulted in the dismissal of charges of inappropriate behaviour brought against the team principal by a female coworker.
Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull was called into question after he indicated that Helmut Marko “needs to stay” at the team, but the 80-year-old has since stated that he will continue to serve as their racing advisor despite media reports of a potential suspension.
“There are rumblings, and I am aware of what has been mentioned,” Horner told Sky Sports Formula One.
“Max is a vital member of our team. He’s our driver and does an excellent job, and as team principal and CEO, I’m in charge of the team’s operation and management.” Everyone must contribute. Max is doing their part, while everyone else is doing theirs.
After Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in early March, Jos Verstappen told reporters that Red Bull was “in danger of being pulled apart” and would “explode.”
Jos Verstappen reiterated his statements from the previous week in an interview with the Daily Mail while competing in the Hannut Rally in Belgium, which is why he was not present in Saudi Arabia.
“I think it’s a little late for that now,” Jos remarked when asked if the matter might be resolved and the team could “move on,” as Horner suggested in Wednesday’s FIA press conference.
He went on to say, “But all of this is influencing Max. He finished third in the first practice, and we only hear about Horner and his dilemma.
“In Horner’s news conference the other day, everything was on him and his troubles, when we should have been talking about Max, the vehicle, his performance, and the race. I’ve already stated that I believe it will cause problems if he stays.I believe it is too late for Christian to say, “Leave me alone,” but he has the Thai owner’s support, so I believe he will stay for the remainder of the season.
“I indicated it would be horrible if he stayed; it’s not good for the team or the environment.”Horner has been in command of the Red Bull F1 team since its inception in 2005, during which time the team has won seven drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships.The 50-year-old acknowledges it’s “unfortunate” that there’s so much speculation off the track, but he’s focused on the race.
“Speculation is definitely rampant, but the most important thing is to focus on the team and their on-track performance. We all have a strong stake in attaining results like this,” he remarked.
“It’s been an incredible team effort.” What you don’t see are all the men and women behind the scenes, all the people in the supply chains, all the people in the support roles, and all the people who work insanely long hours in one of the world’s largest team sports, if not the largest. I believe it is critical to understand that there are nine other teams doing what we are doing, and it is not simple.
“You can only do that by instilling a sense of determination throughout the organization, and the drivers are driving the end result, and they have done an excellent job. We go on, and our concentration is on Melbourne.”
When asked if there were no cultural concerns on the team, he replied, “Absolutely. Red Bull Racing is the world’s most popular sports team. We have an awesome crew that is doing an excellent job. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to attain these results.
