Although Max Verstappen claims he is “absolutely to stay” with the Formula One team at Red Bull, he does not foresee a moment when he would compete without his father at his side.
Jos Verstappen, the athlete’s father, warned Red Bull last week that if team head Christian Horner continued in his position following controversy over an inquiry into claims of inappropriate behavior toward a female employee, Red Bull would be “torn apart.”
The employee’s complaint was dropped last week, but Horner’s job has come under further scrutiny when communications he may have sent were leaked anonymously.
Jos Verstappen made the team’s division public when he told the Daily Mail that Horner’s tenure as team principal would cause Red Bull Racing to “explode” and be “torn apart.”
For the first time since his father’s remarks, Max Verstappen stated that he was more concerned with the team’s performance than he was with possible divisions within Red Bull.
However, he stated that he never sees a day when he races without Jos and Raymond Vermeulen, his manager, in tow.
Verstappen remarked, “We’re a team.” It’s Raymond, my dad, and me together. And it will remain that way forever as well.
“I suppose that’s how he obviously felt. However, in my opinion, it makes no difference whether you are on the right or left side. Naturally, it would be strange to be on the other side as my dad’s son, but from my perspective, I only want to concentrate on the performing aspect of things.
“I would prefer to focus more on the actual performance and less on our team’s activities off the track.”
After launching his title defense with a commanding win in Bahrain on Saturday, Verstappen asserted that he was unaware of events occurring “higher up” in the organization and that he was only concerned with the performance of the car.
When asked if he agreed with Jos’s assessment that Horner’s departure would cause the squad to “explode,” Verstappen said, “I’m not sure. Hopefully not! I’m not supposed to be. Normally not, however this is a good team with a strong corporation and many strong team members.
In his opinion, “everyone is man enough and respectful enough to each other anyway in that sense,” and there were “always things that can be worked out.”
There have been hints that Verstappen would depart Red Bull if Horner stays in his position due to the deepening divisions within the team’s top Formula One management.
Before heading to Saudi Arabia for this weekend’s grand prix in Jeddah, Horner had discussions with Verstappen’s manager in Dubai following the previous race in Bahrain.
Verstappen noted that Horner and he were now on the same squad and that he found it “a bit weird to read” that the articles implied one of them would have to quit.
However, Verstappen stated, “I want a calm workplace where everyone is delighted to work, regardless of whether they are a part of the team or not.
Horner has the unreserved support of Verstappen’s colleague Sergio Pérez, who stated that “not only my support (but) the full team is fully behind him.”
“His work over the years speaks for itself, and he’s clearly a very important person in our organization,” Pérez remarked. “I believe Christian is a vital member of the team in this organization, and he is totally committed to the racing aspect.”
Verstappen was reportedly privately asked by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem at a meeting last week to publicly support Horner, according to a number of media sites, including De Telegraaf and BBC Sport.
Verstappen responded, “I’m not going to say yes or no about things, because he came to me in private,” when pressed to elaborate on the report. “I won’t say yes or no about something that people might have heard.”
Rumors that Verstappen will be leaving Red Bull have given rise to rumors of a shock switch to Mercedes, who will need to acquire a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who is expected to join Ferrari in 2025. Red Bull has Verstappen under contract through 2028.
After the race in Bahrain on Saturday, Jos Verstappen was seen chatting with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff outside the Mercedes motorhome. There have also been rumours that the two had dinner together earlier in the week, further strengthening their relationship.
Verstappen stated, “My goal is, of course, to stick with this team because I truly enjoy it and am happy within the team.” “There’s no reason to leave as long as we perform.”
Jos Verstappen isn’t anticipated to attend a grand prix in the upcoming weeks, but he was always scheduled to miss this weekend’s race in Saudi Arabia because of a rally event in Belgium.
Verstappen responded, “I haven’t asked that, but my dad is, from how I know him, is always very outspoken,” when asked if he believed his father regretted the remarks. Certainly, he is not a liar. That’s all I have to say about it from my perspective.
However, I believe that generally speaking, it’s critical for the team as a whole that we can finally discuss the fantastic performance of the vehicle we have.
“Unfortunately, nobody has really brought up that topic too much in the past few days.”
Be the first to comment