The big Formula One story in Saudi Arabia on Friday was the emergence of a future F1 star in the form of British driver Oliver Bearman. The Prema driver had destroyed the F2 field qualifying his car on pole for the feature race of the weekend.
However he was forced to withdraw from the F2 Sprint as Carlos Sainz was taken ill with appendicitis and the call came from Ferrari to drive their F1 car number 55 in FP3 and qualifying. The Jeddah circuit is fast and technical and expert commentators felt that making the pole position shootout was a bridge too far.
Horner’s female accuser suspended
Yet the Brit almost created one of the biggest shocks on track in recent memory as a tiny mistake meant he was forced to do his final push lap on worn tyres. Even so he clocked a time just 0.036 seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton in Q2 who again was slower than his team mate. Had Bearman made the time on fresh tyres Hamilton would have been history and starting at best in P11.
But this was not the big story as the Red Bull public infighting continues. It was revealed that female who had accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour had been suspended for alleged “dishonesty” although the team failed to confirm this.
Having cleared Horner via an independent King’s Counsel, the Red Bull organisation has turned its guns on the person responsible for sending an anonymous email sent to 149 senior F1 paddock figures claiming to contain confidential documents from the Horner investigation.
Clearly the RBR female employee is suspected of colluding in the document release but the story didn’t stop there. Helmut Marko suggested he had been gagged by Red Bull and should restrain from commenting publicly on the ongoing situation.
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Marko admits he may be for the chop
Austrian broadcaster ORF reported the possibility that Dr, Helmut Marko may be next to be suspended and could be forced to sit out the next round in Melbourne two weeks from now.
The head of the Red Bull junior driver program admitted that a “theoretical possibility exists” he may be banned from attending in Australia.
The 80 year old Austrian added: “In the end I decide for myself what I’m going to do”, but stressed “calm in the team” is what Red Bull needs right now.
“It is such a complex issue,” said the Dr., “And again, we want calm in the team and we want to see it. This World Championship is going to be difficult enough with 24 races and that’s what we need to focus on.”
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Jos ‘sympathises” with suspended female
As if this latest twist in the Red Bull drama was not enough, Max Verstappen’s father Jos weighed in again on the matter contradicting comments made by Horner that a “line had been drawn under the debate between the two of them,” stating the time for that had passed.
Jos Verstappen further backed the female employee of RBR adding he was sympathetic to her cause. After taking part in the Haunt Rally in Belgium, Verstappen Snr told the MailOnline, “I sympathise with the woman, with all that she went through, but we will see what happens.”
Reports have circulated in the paddock that in fact Jos has previously been romantically linked with the accused female employee and as such his comments are of little surprise. Yet it puts him in direct conflict with Christian Horner again after he claimed in Bahrain Horner’s continued presence was tearing the team apart.
When presented with Christian Horner’s comments that it was time to move on from the issue, Jos quipped “I think it’s a bit too late for that now. If that’s what he wants, fine, but I don’t think it will be possible. I don’t want to talk too much more as it will create problems. But the most important thing for me is that Max is happy, that’s what counts for me, I just want him to be happy.”
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Marko holding RBR to ransom
A notion is gaining ground in the paddock that Max required both his father and Helmut Marko around him or he will quit the F1 team, something his father again fuels with his latest comments.
Jos then chose to again reiterate how the the saga was affecting his son. “Red Bull seem to know what they are doing with her, we will see. But I think it is for her to come out and see what happens.
“I’m not fully up to speed with what is happening with her,” added Verstappen Snr. “But all these things that are going on are having an influence on Max.
“He was third in the first practice, and all we hear about is Horner and what happened with his situation.”
Perez says Verstappen’s father is wrong
Jos says “its too late for Christian”
Of course Max went on to claim his 35th pole position easily later in the day which suggests he is in fact focused on on track affairs rather than the Red Bull civil war. Jos again went on to stick the knife into Horner criticising comments he made over this weekend.
“I the press conference Horner gave the other day it was all about him and his problems when we should be talking about Max, the car, his performance and the race.
“I’ve already said I think it is causing problems if he [Horner] stays.”
Horner’s fate appears secure having received the public backing of the Thai 51% majority owners of the Red Bull empire but Jos questions this state of affairs stating: “I think it’s too late for Christian to say ‘leave me alone’ but he has the support of the Thai owner so I think he will stay for the rest of the season.
Row in Bahrain revealed
“I said it would bad if he stayed, it really isn’t good for the team, this whole situation.”
Horner and Verstappen Snr were captured on video having a heated debate in the Red Bull hospitality area behind glass. Whilst Horner refused to explain the details of the row and claimed it was all behind them, Jos Verstappen begs to differ.
He states the argument was recorded before the race and his subsequent calls for Horner to leave: ‘That was earlier, on Friday, before the race.
“He was saying to me ‘Do you trust me? I will do everything for your son’ and we were talking with our hands, we didn’t have a fight.
“But on Friday we did have an argument in the office, and I walked out but, in the trailer, he came up to me and said ‘Congratulations, good race’.”
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Jos says Horner is lying
Jos is clearly suggesting Horner’s media explanation this weekend that he had spoken with Verstappen Snr after the race in Bahrain and they agreed to draw a line under the matter, is in fact a lie.
There is clearly an agenda to remove Christian Horner and those behind the assassination attempt via the investigation and subsequent anonymous email have clearly turned to Verstappen’s father to continue the fight.
The threat is either Horner leaves, or Jos and Dr. Helmet Marko will leave Red Bull with the result that Max will follow them out the door.
Christian Horner stated this weekend he was “certain” that Verstappen would see out his contract until 2028 with RBR, but the Dutch ace has of yet failed to back Horner unlike Sergio perez.
Disclosed: Why female Red Bull employee suspended
Will Max really leave Red Bull F1?
In his interview with ORF Marko again issued veiled threats that Max could leave Red Bull Racing and that he is the reason Reed Bull is winning everything.
“Max is definitely the strongest asset, there are no faster drivers at the moment,” said Marko. “Losing him, that would be a huge loss.
“Also for the mechanics and engineers, who all strive to work for Max.”
While this maybe be the biggest inter-team fallout since Lewis Hamilton joined McLaren alongside Fernando Alonso in 2007, history tells us that no driver is bigger than the team.
Further if Max believes he is good enough to take Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes car which was 1 second off the pace in Saudi qualifying and be capable of beating a Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz or Lando Norris driving his RB20, then he is somewhat overoptimistic of even his own magical driving skills.
READ MORE: Marko and Verstappen to leave over leaking Horner WhatsApp chats?
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Oh dear, POOR Jos! Having a hissy fit because the press conference WASN’T all about Max. Doesn’t he realise Christian would have LOVED the press conference to have been all about the RACING. It’s because people – such as Jos himself – keep talking about the complaint that it’s STILL being discussed!
What a jerk he’s being
It seems to me that Jos Verstappen is using his son ,the suspended woman and Marko to oust Horner so he can be appointed Team Manager
This matter needs to be put to rest! If Max allows himself to be influenced by his father’s alterior motives, then he must be given an ultimatum, be a part of the team or move on…immediately! Yes, Max is a special driver but so is his current team and car. Should Max leave, there are numerous very talented drivers eager to be considered for his then vacant seat. Max …needs to decide and do so speedily. Let the one without any fault in their personal lives speak up or forever hold their peace!!!