Max Verstappen could reportedly leave Red Bull if Christian Horner remains in his position.
The Red Bull chief – who earns £8m a year – was the subject of an internal investigation over the past month after accusations of ‘coercive behaviour’ towards a female colleague were made against him, before he was cleared on Wednesday.
However, several messages that were alleged to be between Horner and his accuser were then leaked via anonymous email, adding further furore to the whole situation.
And, according to The Telegraph, Jos Verstappen, Max’s dad – who publicly called for Horner to leave his role – has told friends his son will move on from Red Bull if he has to.
Speaking after the Bahrain Grand Prix – which Verstappen won – Jos exclusively told Mail Sport: ‘There is tension here while he remains in position.
Max Verstappen could reportedly leave Red Bull, according to his father Jos Verstappen (right)
‘The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.’
Mail Sport revealed on Saturday how Jos, a former team-mate of Michael Schumacher, had a blazing row in Horner’s paddock office after qualifying on Friday night.
Verstappen, 51, walked out of the fiery meeting before returning to the room and reluctantly shaking hands.
According to his affiliates, Horner believes Verstappen Snr has orchestrated a campaign to unseat him for the past few weeks, the implication being that the Dutchman even had a hand in the email leak.
Verstappen denies the claims, saying: ‘That wouldn’t make sense. Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?’
And the Telegraph report claims that during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend – which Max won – Jos had been openly courting and speaking with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, who is an enemy of Horner and also seemingly called for his head.
They were seen together on several occasions in plain sight to the rest of the F1 world, while they Wolff and Jos were also said to both be staying at The Four Seasons hotel and spoke at length there.
The rumours of their links come amid a turbulent time for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari for the 2025 season meaning they have a vacant seat for next year.
Meanwhile, the ongoing instability at Red Bull amid Horner’s position will only add to the gossip surrounding Verstappen’s future.
Wolff seemed to play down the rumours when asked after Bahrain, although he did speak very positively of the Dutchman.
‘I think the driver will always choose the quickest car,’ Wolff said. ‘That is fundamentally what it’s all about. At the moment, the Red Bull is the quickest car so that will always be in my opinion the priority.
‘Max is in a different league, a different galaxy. We just have to acknowledge his performance levels. The performance was extraordinary.’
While Wolff may be keen on Verstappen, the report also claims this could all be a tactic to unsettle Horner and put pressure on Red Bull’s parent company to act, with both the Mercedes chief and Jos having ongoing feuds with the 50-year-old.
However, there is a chance it is a move that could happen, with Wolff attempting to sign Verstappen back when he was a junior.
Meanwhile, the Red Bull’s chiefs determination to stay in his role, coupled with Jos’ very public outburst means it is unlikely that both will be able to stay in their position, with the dominant F1 team of recent years in danger of falling apart.
Horner was given a very public show of support by his former spice girl wife Geri Halliwell, 51, in the paddock in Bahrain.
She walked with him, hand-in-hand and wreathed in smiles, from the main entrance to the hospitality area before sitting down for some lunch.
After victory, Horner said: ‘I am not going to comment on the motives whatever person may have for doing this.’
Asked if he would be in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for next weekend’s race and the whole season, he said: ‘Absolutely. I’ve always been confident I’ll be here.’