What has happened around Red Bull in recent days probably outweighs what happened even before the official statement exonerating Christian Horner was issued. A number of media signals confirming the confident British position, a mysterious leak, pressure from other leaders, and the main point of fire – Jos Verstappen's unexpected participation.
After his strong statements, no one doubts that the relationship between the two is not the best. In fact, the two men even got into a heated argument during the Bahrain race weekend, for which the Dutchman later apologized – reluctantly. In response, he went to the Mercedes stand to chat with Toto Wolff.
Naturally, this did not go unnoticed in the media, especially since the elder Verstappen wanted nothing to do with it. president Silver Arrows yet 2021 drama season. At the same time, they had previously had good relations and there was often speculation about Max's departure. The topic is now back in the spotlight thanks to reports from The Telegraph, Auto Motor und Sport and F1Insider.com.
Everything points to Joss trying to play Max and giving signals that if Horner stays in Milton Keynes, the three-time world champion will leave. The former Benetton player has allegedly told his close friends that, as reported by a British daily, the driver will eventually end up at Mercedes, which could be due to two problems.
The first is related timing Events around Horner. According to AMuS, Red Bull was informed of his alleged inappropriate behavior last December, and the whole matter was revealed just four days after Lewis Hamilton's sensational move to Ferrari was announced. In addition, the Dutch press began to provide the most important information.
The second refers to the uncertainty of the Verstappen clan regarding the new engine formula and the Bulls' own project from 2026. Mercedes appears more confident in this area, having dominated Formula One following the recent big changes in regulations regarding power units. For this reason, Wolf may be the biggest winner in the entire saga.
The Austrian activist personally spoke with Goss not only at the Bahrain Circuit, but also during a private dinner at the hotel. In addition, he made two comments regarding the potential employment of Max – one in the post-race media session and one to F1Insider.com. None of them clearly distanced themselves from this idea:
“The driver will always choose the fastest car, because that's what it's all about. Currently, Red Bull has the fastest car, so obviously that will be the priority,” Toto told a press conference.
“I've known Gus for 25 years and there have been many ups and downs. In fact, I congratulated his son on achieving these successes because Max is racing in another galaxy,” he told F1Insider.com. When asked about including Verstappen before the end of his contract until the 2028 season, Wolff only replied that “anything is possible.”
Where are Max and Christian in all this? At the moment, it is not known how the Dutch hero evaluates his father's actions. Media information shows that his story focuses more on Horner and Red Bull's dynamics. After the FIA and Formula 1 intervened, reports emerged that Mohammed bin Sulayem had asked Verstappen Jr to publicly support his boss.
As for the 50-year-old, Motorsport-Total.com published an interesting report citing BusinessF1 News. It confirmed that the Austrian part of Red Bull, headed by CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, had already decided to part ways with Horner on February 2 and had prepared an official announcement.
However, the Briton will not give up easily, and has intervened with his lawyers and expects an independent investigation. As a result, the case took a long time, and the outside counsel – who had already gone on leave during the investigation – presented the final findings. To the Austrians' surprise, they acquitted Horner. The support of the Thai part of Red Bull played an important role in this.
Finally, it's worth noting the latest news from ESPN. The American website reported that José Verstappen will not travel to Saudi Arabia to compete in the Grand Prix there, to emphasize the importance of the words that talk about Horner spoiling the team’s atmosphere. It appears that a sensation has already been created in Milton Keynes, and it is unclear who might emerge victorious.
Update: 21:05
The latest report from F1Insider.com has provided more tidbits on the entire saga. As it turns out, Helmut Marko may play an important role in this. All because of a clause in Max Verstappen's contract, which allows it to be terminated if the Austrian leaves Red Bull. Meanwhile, he is alleged to have feuded with Christian Horner, just like Adrian Newey.
Add to this the indication that Ford is already analyzing the possibilities of terminating the contract with the Bulls, and one could already think about the Dutch player's move to Mercedes. Marco himself said he would not stand in the way of that.
The current situation was interestingly summarized on the German website by Gerhard Berger, who witnessed what was happening at the Bahrain Circuit:
“At the moment, Horner is staying. Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey are leaving and Max is moving to Mercedes,” the former Ferrari driver said.
Update: 23:24
Ultimately, The Independent added its two cents to the whole matter. Its sources revealed that Christian Horner organized a meeting on Monday with the Dutch camp in Dubai to relieve some tension.
However, neither Max nor Gus attended the meeting, but rather Director Raymond Vermeulen. The talks between the two sides were supposed to end positively. Important representatives of Red Bull were also supposed to attend the meeting.
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