Max Verstappen has expressed his disappointment over the recent public dispute between his father, Jos Verstappen, and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner at the Austrian Grand Prix, calling it "not nice" and "avoidable".
The three-time world champion finds himself caught in the middle of another flare-up public dispute between his father and Horner, and was queried by the media on the conflict after his win in Saturday’s Sprint event.
While the incident is clearly a distraction, it's Verstappen's defense of his father that underscores the tension within the Red Bull camp.
The bickering between Horner and Verstappen Snr emerged after the latter accused the former of trying to block him from taking part in this weekend’s Red Bull ‘Legends Parade’, a show run of period cars driven by former F1 drivers.
In Friday’s press conference, Horner denied that he had vetoed Jos Verstappen’s presence in the parade onboard a 2012 Red Bull RB8.
But his subsequent comments towards Verstappen Snr – who ultimately declined to take part in the procession – hinted at clear frustration with Jos.
Referring to Mercedes’ seemingly endless pursuit of Max Verstappen’s services, Horner openly mocked the latter’s father, suggesting that if Max was off-limits for Mercedes, Jos might be available.
Verstappen made clear that he was disappointed with the bad blood that continues to simmer between his father and Horner, and which is an unnecessary distraction. But he also defended his father.
"Naturally, of course, it's not nice. Not for myself, not for my dad, not for Christian, not for the team,” he told the media. “Of course, you don't want these things to happen.
"I think my dad has been quite clear about the reason behind it, and of course, I can understand his opinion on that because at the end of the day, he gets asked to drive the car, finds out that he's not wanted to drive the car…
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“Well, my dad actually, he doesn't care about driving the car but he got asked, 'please, do it for the fans, Dutch fans, blah-blah-blah, Red Bull, we have a great relationship with, home track…’. So, I understand.
"On the other hand, I'm here, of course, to focus on the performance side of things, so I want a good relationship with everyone.
"But of course, this scenario could have been avoided."
Earlier this weekend, Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko – echoing Max’s concerns about McLaren becoming a serious threat for the bulls – emphasized the need for complete focus on racing and to dismiss “trivial matters”.
The situation highlights the delicate dance Verstappen navigates. The Dutchman wants to maintain a positive team environment but clearly feels his father was disrespected by Horner.
Can Verstappen shield himself from this drama and maintain his championship lead, or will the internal conflict at Red Bull continue to be a thorn in his side?
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff is once again closely monitoring events.
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