Christian Horner held a direct meeting with the representative of Max Verstappen in Dubai on Monday, aiming to resolve escalating tensions within Red Bull.
During the Bahrain Grand Prix, which marked the start of Formula 1’s season and saw Verstappen outperform his teammate Sergio Perez for a Red Bull one-two finish, Horner was at the center of attention due to a probe that cleared him of alleged misconduct.
Despite denying the accusations throughout, Horner faced increased scrutiny on Thursday when supposed evidence from the investigation into his actions was distributed to several media outlets and F1 team leaders through an anonymous email.
Christian Horner update after Bahrain GP 2024
Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, expressed concerns to the Daily Mail that Red Bull could disintegrate if Horner remained in his dual role. These comments were made before the Bahrain Grand Prix but are still endorsed by him, as per Sky Sports News.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is reportedly under investigation for potential race meddling at the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP, has requested that Max Verstappen publicly support Horner.
When questioned by Sky Sports F1 about his presence at the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Horner confidently affirmed his position. He emphasized Red Bull’s unity and support from partners and shareholders, underscoring the team’s cohesion and success.
Horner said the past few days had “not been pleasant” and reaffirmed his intention to remain in his dual roles as team principal and chief executive until at least the end of the season.
“Obviously it’s not been pleasant, the unwanted attention,” Horner said. “But the focus is now very much on the cars. My focus has very much been on what’s going on on-track and the result today I think demonstrates where the whole team’s focus is and we move onwards.”
Horner maintained that he cannot comment on what he described as “anonymous speculative messages from an unknown source”, referring to the material leaked on Thursday.
