Max Verstappen insists there is “no conflict” between his father Jos Verstappen and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
Three-time world champion Verstappen has made a flying start to his latest title defence, winning five of the first seven races of the 2024 F1 season to build a 48-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings.
Max Verstappen gives update on Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner
Despite the off-track turmoil surrounding the team in the early months of this season, Red Bull’s on-track performance has remained fearsome.
The investigation into the conduct of Horner, F1’s longest-serving team principal, was dropped on the eve of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, where Verstappen kicked off F1 2024 with a dominant victory from pole position.
But after the race, Verstappen called on Horner to resign, accusing the 50-year-old of “playing the victim when he is creating the problems”.
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Verstappen also warned that Red Bull would “explode” if Horner stayed on and the reigning constructors’ champions would “risk being ripped apart”.
Earlier this month, after design guru Adrian Newey announced he would be leaving Red Bull early in the 2025 F1 season, he doubled down on claims the team was “on the brink of collapse” and insisted it was “vital for internal peace that key people remain with the team”.
Reports of tensions within the team have increased the likelihood that Verstappen will join Mercedes next season, despite his contract with Red Bull running until the end of the 2028 F1 season.
The 26-year-old has remained tight-lipped about the situation throughout but defended his father days after Verstappen’s post-Bahrain outburst, saying: “He’s always been very forthright. I’m sure he’s not a liar.”
Speaking to British newspaper The Guardian, Verstappen insisted there was no conflict between his father and Horner, suggesting they simply had differences of opinion.
He said: “Of course, my father will always be with me.
“They’re not at odds. Different people have different opinions, but that’s another story.”
Verstappen reiterated that he wanted Red Bull to remain focused on performance, saying: “There are many pillars involved. When I moved to Red Bull Racing, [in 2016]Christians are the pillars of that whole story.
“But the important thing is always for everyone to focus on performance and get back on track.
“As I’ve said many times before, our focus right now is on the performance side and hopefully we can continue that.”
Verstappen’s comments come after PlanetF1.com reported earlier this week that negotiations between Mercedes and outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had stalled, with the team opting to monitor Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull.
Mercedes is thought to be ready to wait until the final week of the season to decide its 2025 F1 driver line-up following seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari on a multi-year deal.
Verstappen has been the dominant force in F1’s current era, winning 49 of the last 73 races since the start of F1’s first title-winning season in 2021.
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