Internal tensions at Red Bull seemed a distant memory between the Verstappen clan and Cristian Horner. However, in Austria, things are starting again with a vengeance.
After the “Horner” affair at the start of the year, the Verstappen clan (Jos Verstappen, Raymond Vermeulen, Helmut Marko) strongly opposed Christian Horner, wanting his departure from the head of the Red Bull Racing team until the latter obtains the support of the main shareholder of the Austro-Thai brand. Since then, Helmut Marko has come out to the media to say that they had put aside their differences with Christian Horner (nothing has really been said about the other two previously mentioned).
New Verstappen / Horner clash within Red Bull
Arriving at the Red Bull Ring, it was understood that Jos Verstappen would be driving a Red Bull RB8 dedicated to demonstrations in the Legends Parade scheduled for this weekend. But Jos Verstappen spoke to Austrian journalists to explain what had been going on behind the scenes.
Jos Verstappen explained that Christian Horner would have done everything to prevent the Dutchman from driving the RB8, even going so far as to decree that this driving would not be filmed. “How can you be so childish?”Verstappen told Formula1.nl about the boycott.
“There were plans to film, for example with a drone, but Horner didn’t want me to be filmed. I’m completely done with Horner. It feels like we’re in a kindergarten here. I could have driven at the end of the demonstration, but I refrained. I find that so childish of Horner, but I think it says a lot about him.” The row also led to Jos not ruling out the possibility of his son Max moving to Mercedes for the 2025 campaign.
Caught between two fires, Helmut Marko tries to calm the tensions and asks the two protagonists to stop making sparks, Red Bull Racing has other problems to deal with. “We decided to focus on the sporting side”did he declare. “We already have enough problems and we are solving them. I think that here it is a private matter between Christian and Jos. In any case, there should be no problems regarding a demonstration run. Max is here for the grand prix and that is the most important thing.”
Mercedes comes to fan the flames
A week before this clash of hard heads from Red Bull, at Mercedes, we tried to rekindle the flames by making another appeal for Max Verstappen. Supported by Toto Wolff, who is ready to put the Dutchman behind the wheel for 2025, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius said in Barcelona that the amount offered to the person concerned met his expectations well.
However, Max Verstappen has a bit more value than just accepting a big check, and he reminds us: “I don’t think that’s the way Formula 1 works, where suddenly you can say, ‘well, bye, guys’,” Verstappen said. “That’s not how it works. I have a long contract with the team. I’m very happy where I am. And we are already focusing on next year with things that we can implement work on the car I guess that should say enough about where I’ll be driving next year.”
The journalists will insist on having a yes confirmation from the Dutchman to know if he would be in Red Bull in 2025, which annoyed him a little: “You didn’t understand that in my answer earlier? Okay, then, yes.” At least the answer is clear.
Christian Horner also responded at a press conference of team bosses in the afternoon to the request for Max Verstappen made by Mercedes: “This is a question that must be asked of Toto. Max was quite clear in what he said in this conference yesterday. He has always been absolutely consistent with the team. Why does Toto make comments… I think it’s purely a distraction tactic. Of course, if he wants a Verstappen for next year, then I guess Jos is potentially available. And Christian Horner to put a coin back in the jukebox, the team boss could have more to lose than he thinks…
© Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images – Raymond Vermeulen / Helmut Marko / Jos Verstappen
