Max Verstappen, the Dutch racing driver, had a good start to the season with victories in the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races. However, these wins were overshadowed by misconduct allegations against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. A Red Bull employee made the accusations, but Horner denied them and was cleared of any wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the woman filed an appeal, prolonging the controversy ahead of the Australian Grand Prix this Sunday.
Verstappen, who is focused on his performance on the track, stated that he prefers not to get involved in off-track issues. He believes that everything is being handled properly, but he does not have further details and does not want to get involved in matters that are not his responsibility within the team.
Red Bull GmbH, the controlling company of the F1 champions, has not commented on the accusations, but stated that the accuser has the right to appeal. Verstappen, who has won the last three F1 world championships with Red Bull, stated that internal conflicts have not affected his performance or his relationship with the team. He hopes that attention can be refocused on race results.
Jos Verstappen, Max’s father and former F1 driver, expressed concerns about the situation and suggested that Red Bull could face internal conflicts if Horner remains in charge. This has led to speculation that Max Verstappen may consider other options when his contract expires in 2025, despite it currently being valid until 2028.
The head of the Mercedes team, Toto Wolff, expressed his admiration for Verstappen and stated that he would love to have him on his team, especially with Lewis Hamilton leaving for Ferrari next season. Verstappen did not rule out a possible move to Mercedes in the future, but emphasized his comfort and loyalty to Red Bull, referring to them as his “second family”. He believes it would be a great story to end his F1 career with Red Bull.
Verstappen remains focused on his performance and is determined to continue working to improve the team’s performance and win races. He believes that, despite distractions, the team has a strong group of individuals dedicated to success.
