Jos Verstappen was one of the most vocal figures during the saga surrounding an inappropriate behavior scandal involving Christian Horner earlier this year. He called for the Red Bull boss’ sacking publicly, which put his son Max in a very tricky situation.
Often posed with several questions about the rift between Horner and his dad, Verstappen managed to maintain the perfect balance of supporting his team principal while also honoring his father’s sentiments.
️ | Max on his father’s public criticism of Christian Horner
“I guess [Jos Verstappen] clearly felt like that. But from my side, it doesn’t matter if I am on one side or the other side.
As a son of my dad’s it would be weird to be on a different side [than him]. But I just… pic.twitter.com/RF0YmQhpzE
— RBR News (@redbulletin) March 6, 2024
Many felt that Jos wasn’t being cognizant of his son’s position at Red Bull by attacking Horner without any filter. There was a belief that, as a result, Max might leave the team or that his otherwise good relationship with Horner had deteriorated.
Max, however, shut down such speculation. “But that is nonsense. My father sees the bigger picture very quickly. And that certain things that happen have an influence on the future of me and the team. Some people from outside may not see that,” Max told De Telegraaf.
While Jos kept insisting that Red Bull would suffer and ‘implode’ because of Horner’s refusal to step down, he also understood that his son leaving abruptly wouldn’t have been wise for his career.
Rumors around Max’s Mercedes switch
In the aftermath of Jos publicly calling for Horner’s resignation, strong rumors emerged about Max negotiating with Mercedes. Jos predicted that the tense environment within the Austrian team would lead to high-profile departures, and that’s exactly what happened, with Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley leaving the team in the coming months.
Max would have wanted those key figures to stay at Red Bull to secure the long-term competitiveness of the team. He has reiterated his unconditional commitment to them on several occasions but struggles behind the scenes could prompt him to make a switch.
Mercedes moved on from the Verstappen dream after a few weeks of speculation and signed Kimi Antonelli for 2025 instead. However, they may still be eyeing the Dutchman for 2026. Considering how the former Benetton driver hasn’t stopped his tirade against Horner, he could eventually push Max to switch teams after a few more verbal clashes.
Jos recently mentioned that dealing with Horner throughout 2024 was very difficult. He claimed he only attended races and stayed in the Red Bull garage for his son’s sake. So, even if the rift between the Red Bull boss and Verstappen Sr. seems to have cooled off, it could still reignite and influence the four-time world champion’s future.
