Jos Verstappen has expressed his hope that “peace returns soon” at Red Bull Racing, although the Dutchman fears that the simmering power struggle within the Milton Keynes-based outfit could be a long-term issue.
Red Bull's scorching start to its 2024 campaign, with saw the team take back-to-back one-two finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, has been eclipsed by a brewing storm off the track.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has been cleared of allegations of inappropriate behaviour brought against him by a female employee of the team, but the Briton’s situation is far from settled.
Horner’s accuser is appealing the outcome of Red Bull’s internal investigation, while she has also taken her grievances to the FIA.
Further complicating matters, tensions flared inside Red Bull after the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Verstappen Sr publicly criticizing Horner and urging him to leave the team.
In Saudi Arabia, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko was rumored to have been at the center of leaks to the media regarding the team’s inner turmoil, but the Austrian was cleared a day later by Red Bull GmbH director Oliver Mintzlaff.
Amidst the controversy, and despite Horner’s assurances of team unity, Max Verstappen clearly pledged his allegiance to Marko, and hinted that he could leave the team if ever his mentor was forced to exit.
"It's certainly hard for the outside world to follow," commented Jos Verstappen after winning the Ardennes Rally last weekend in Belgium.
"I think it's necessary to get peace within the team, but given the circumstances, I think it will continue for a while. I'm curious, but it doesn't help the whole process."
Unsurprisingly, Verstappen Sr admitted that battle lines had been drawn and that a tug of war was ongoing between the Horner and Verstappen/marko factions.
"There is definitely a certain power struggle going on,” he said. “We're going to see, I can't say too much about it. I hope peace returns soon and they start concentrating on racing because that's what it's all about. But this is not good."
With next weekend's Australian Grand Prix looming, the spotlight remains firmly on the Red Bull saga.
Jos Verstappen expresses confidence in his son Max's ability to shield himself from the drama, but acknowledges the media circus surrounding the team is an unavoidable consequence of the team’s ongoing situation.
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