Verstappen Gives His Point Of View On Conflict Between Horner And His Father

Wednesday, 06 March 2024 at 22:30

Max Verstappen spoke more in-depth about the situation between his father, Jos Verstappen, and Christian Horner.

Jos Verstappen made it clear how he felt about Red Bull Racing's current team principal when he told Mail Sport that tension within the team would remain as long as the 50-year-old retains his position.

He also said Horner was only "playing the victim" while he was "the one causing problems." Moreover, he added the team is in danger of "being torn apart."

Speaking to the media ahead of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen suggested he hoped the matters between the team principal and his father could be straightened out:

"I guess he [Jos] clearly felt like that. But from my side, it doesn't matter being on one side or the other side. As a son of my dad's it would be weird to be on a different side [than him]."

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After his comments about the team principal, Verstappen's father backed out of attending the second race of the season, so he won't be present at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit this weekend. The triple World Champion continued:

"Everyone in general, even if you have arguments or not, there are always things that can be worked out. Everyone is man enough and respectful enough to each other. I've not always agreed with things in general in F1, and that's why it's good to have a discussion about things."

"You might agree to disagree sometimes; that is sometimes what happens in a relationship. That's how it goes."

Jos Verstappen also reportedly told his friends that his son would leave Red Bull if he had to. While the 26-year-old didn't specifically address this matter, he said his father isn't a liar.

"From how I know him already in go-karting, my dad is very outspoken. He’s not a liar, that’s for sure."

This whole controversy is taking away from the magic and excitement of the Grand Prix weekend. Ultimately, it is clear that the triple World Champion would like to focus only on racing. He also said:

"But I just want to focus on the performance side of things and have less talk of what we are doing outside of the track than actual performance. We have a great car and look forward to a great year."