Ever since Christian Horner got accused of “inappropriate behavior“, there has been an apparent rift between Jos Verstappen and the Red Bull team principal. Recently, Jos Verstappen said, “I am done with Horner,” a comment which is a reported response to the Briton allegedly trying to sabotage the former Dutch racing driver’s now canceled RB8 drive in the Goodwood speed festival.
Obviously, this squabble would reach Max Verstappen’s shores, and the 26-year-old Dutchman said that it could have been avoided when the media talked to him after the sprint race. “Obviously you don’t want these things to happen. I have a good relationship with everyone, but this situation could have been avoided,” said Max.
Asked about the Horner and Jos back and forth, Max Verstappen tells the media: “Obviously you don’t want these things to happen. I have a good relationship with everyone, but this situation could have been avoided”. https://t.co/6PZ9AuUh3r
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The probable dispute between the two sides could possibly alter Max’s future at Red Bull. Even though Max has a contract with the Milton-Keynes outfit, there are mechanisms in place that could allow him to leave Red Bull sooner.
And it has already allowed the media to start over with the speculations. Considering that Max is unsurprisingly close to his father, the incident can trigger his exit, assuming he can walk in any team right now.
Moreover, losing Max at this stage could further be damaging to Red Bull, considering how the championship is very much in the balance this year compared to the previous two seasons. In the recent races, it has been Max’s racing proficiency that has been the differential. Thus, a ceasefire is the logical way for Red Bull to move forward.
Helmut Marko proposes an end to madness between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner
The possible exchange of words is surely not a good look for the team. Considering that Max is arguably the biggest asset in the team, and Horner is one of the pioneers at Red Bull, taking sides won’t be easy for the hierarchy.
Thus, Helmut Marko hopes for a peaceful time and urges for an amicable end to any dispute lingering within the realms of the team. He believes such a ‘trivial‘ matter could affect the team massively amidst competition with McLaren.
“I will say is that it [the argument] is a private matter between Jos and Christian, and [one] that shouldn’t really take place at all about such trivial matters as a show run,” said Marko. Red Bull indeed need to prioritize the championship battle this season as they have been unable to dominate the 2024 season as they did in the previous few campaigns.
