The Christian Horner saga continues to build despite the best efforts of Red Bull to move on following an investigation which dismissed the claims made against him. As TJ13 has penned there is clearly a move to oust the longest serving F1 team boss as factions within the Red Bull parent company battle for power.
The Thai family who set up the energy drinks business with Didi Mateschitz in 1984 hold 51% of the shares and crucially a veto over decisions made by the management board. Crucially they support Horner following his acquittal of the misconduct allegations to the extent they made the highly unusual decision to fly to the Bahrain Grand Prix and be pictured publicly at Horner’s side on the grid.
Power grab by Mateschitz junior
The death of Didi changed everything within the business as he previously managed the empire in a nigh on godfather like manner where all decisions sopped at his desk.
Had Mateschitz senior been alive today, the current saga would have never erupted. There would have been non leaks to the Dutch media and the matter would have been handled internally.
It is Mateschitz junior who is causing the furore as he and CEO for special projects Oliver Mintzlaff seek to overthrow Horner from his twenty year tenure as boss of the successful F1 outfit. The duo reportedly believe Horner at £8m a year is too expensive and Mintzlaff is believed to covet his role in the limelight of F1.
Further, as the leading marketing tool in the Red Bull energy drinks empire, the Formula One team has traditionally been run at arms length from the HQ in Salzburg, something Mateschitz junior and Mintzlaff wish to redress.
The men behind the Horner assassination attempt
Verstappen calls for Horner to go
It seemed as though Horner had ridden out the storm during the opening weekend of the season in Bahrain until after the race had finished, Max Verstappen’s father Jos called publicly for Horner to be removed as the team is “in danger of being torn apart.”
Video appeared online of Horner and Verstappen Snr in an apparent heated debate with Horner gesticulating and pointing outside the hospitality unit in the Bahrain paddock. The pair appeared to part on friendly terms but all this was before Jos made his shocking observations to the media.
“There is tension here while he remains in position,” Jos Verstappen told the Daily Mail.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”
Perez admits first mistake of the season
Wolff fuels speculation he is recruiting Max
Red Bull Racing deny the Jos Verstappen claims but rumours now abound that his son is looking to leave the team because of the troubles. Verstappen Sr. has reportedly told those close to him that his son will leave Red Bull if Horner stays. He is also reported to have had dinner with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff during the build-up to the race.
When asked about the meeting, Wolff laughed the mater off claiming: “I have known Jos for 25 years – with ups and downs and I simply congratulated [him] on his son’s achievement. Max is driving in a galaxy of his own”, he said, quoted by F1-Insider.
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko was asked by Krone Zeitung if he thought Mercedes would contact Max about filing the vacant seat soon to be left by Lewis Hamilton.
“I would be surprised if they hadn’t!”, quipped Marko adding, “But Max is a very loyal driver.”
Ricciardo says team mate Tsunoda “immature”
Verstappen to miss Saudi GP
Toto Wolff fuelled the speculation of a Verstappen move to Mercedes when asked he quizzically responded: “Everything is possible.”
With tensions at boiling point within the Red Bull camp and the narrative now turning towards him, ESPN claim their sources have confirmed Jos Verstappen will not attend the Saudi Grand Prix this coming weekend.
Max’s father has been a nigh on permanent fixture in the Red Bull garage as his son’s career has flourished, but clearly he has aligned himself with those attempting to assassinate Christian Horner, it could be they have suggested he take over the role of team boss.
Jos Verstappen’s stance on Christian Horner is hardly surprising given he is no stranger to courting controversy. After a fight at a go-kart track in 1998, Jos was handed down a five-year non custodial sentence from a Belgium judge having been found guilty of fracturing the victim’s skull.
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Jos chequered history
In 2008, Jos Verstappen was fined and given a three-month suspended sentence for threatening Sophie Kumpen, Max’s mother, after violating a restraining order.
In November 2011, he denied allegations of assault by an unnamed 24-year-old girlfriend and the following year he was arrested for attempted murder following claims he drove a car into his ex-girlfriend in the Netherlands. Jos was released after two weeks in jail when the charge was withdrawn due to a lack of evidence.
Max will cone under pressure this weekend to share his thoughts on his father’s claims about the Red Bull team’s imminent explosion and then he will be forced to choose between backing his team boss or his volatile father.
However, with all the talk of Verstappen leaving for Mercedes and the team on the point of implosion, the real danger to the sporting outfit is should Horner decide enough is enough and leave.
Will Ford pull the plug on RBR deal?
Exit clause for Adrian Newey
F1i reports that several high-profile figures at Red Bull Racing, such as CTO Adrian Newey and perhaps Max Verstappen himself, have clauses in their contracts that would allow them to leave the team if Horner is no longer at the helm. Then an implosion would become inevitable and that may be the opportunity Mercedes need to pluck Verstappen from his home and offer him the vacant seat of the Ferrari bound Lewis Hamilton.
In 2008, Jos Verstappen was fined and given a three-month suspended sentence for threatening Sophie Kumpen, Max’s mother, and violating a restraining order.
In November 2011, he denied an allegation of assault by an unnamed 24-year-old girlfriend. In January 2012, he was arrested for attempted murder following claims he drove a car into his ex-girlfriend in the Netherlands. He was released after two weeks in jail when the charge was withdrawn due to a lack of evidence.
READ MORE: Wolff points finger of blame at Hamilton
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Jos should look at his time chart of misbehaviors and keep his mouth shut, he will be the one who ruins Max career if he insists Max to leave for Merc. Merc is done Ferrari will bounce back 25 or 26. or just maybe McLaren
JP is a focused, yet poisonous character. If anyone in Didi’s family were even entertaining the idea of him running RBR, they would be lacking the kind of intelligence which made Didi successful.
RBR would collapse and evaporate under his involvement, never mind leadership.
Best thing RBR could do would be to ban him from the pit and team facilities. Max would get over it.
And Max needs the current strong RB more than they need him! Alonso or perhaps Norris or Carlos in the RB would probably be world champion.
Looks like some vested interests are at play…just waiting for the most opportune time. Magnifying a simple misdemeanor to wreck havoc on a well established brand.
They all need there heads. Banging together they are behaving like teenagers on a strop
Max needs to be told he backs the team or leave, that car is good enough for Perez to come second and there are plenty of better drivers than him on the grid. As for Jos he is trying to make something of a few text messages when his behaviour towards women makes him a lying scumbag…
Surely some wiser brads need to prevail within Red Bull and ask the question how did Red Bull get to the premier position it is in now and who helped them get there…. Christian Horner?
Max should “fire”Jos and start living his own life.
Joss is just after Horner’s job. Is it any surprise that he & The other two are doing ot. Joss is a shimmy s.o.b. always has been. He should quit riding Max’s coattail. He was a mediocre driver who now sees a chance try & make something of hi self.
They should just ban him from the cockpit. Max is fantastic driver so are the red bull team and engineer. It’s a sweet marriage. And if max wants to leave because of boundaries set to his father. Both parties will lose from it.
Jos needs to keep his mouth shut ! His foul behaviour is absolutely detrimental to his son…. Why the hell isn’t Max telling him to get back in his box 😡😡😡
This headline is as retarded as the author