The controversy within Red Bull shows no signs of abating, but Jos Verstappen no longer expects team boss Christian Horner to leave the team despite calling for his removal.
The outspoken father of Red Bull star Max Verstappen heavily criticized Horner after last weekend’s Bahrain GP and in the wake of an investigation by Red Bull that cleared the Briton of misconduct allegations brought forth by a female employee of the team.
It was reported earlier this week that Horner held a ‘clear the air’ meeting with Jos Verstappen and his son’s manager Raymond Vermeulen in Dubai last Monday.
Meanwhile, news emerged that the female employee at the center of the controversy surrounding Horner has been suspended by Red Bull, although it’s uncertain why.
“I sympathise with the woman, with all that she went through, but we will see what happens,” commented Verstappen SR, speaking to the Daily Mail.
It’s worth nothing that rumors claim that the ex-F1 driver was romantically involved with the now suspended Red Bull Racing employee and complainant, which, if true, would add another layer of intrigue and complexity to the case.
On Friday in Jeddah, it was Helmut Marko’s turn to be thrust into the spotlight with news that the Red Bull motorsport advisor is under investigation by Red Bull GmbH for leaking information to the media.
Speaking to broadcaster ORF, the Austrian admitted that he might not be present at Red Bull’s upcoming races if the energy drink company takes disciplinary action against him.
Shedding light on his relationship with Horner, Jos Verstappen acknowledged that the to man engaged in a heated debate last week ahead of the opening race of the season at Sakhir.
“That was earlier, on Friday, before the race,” said Verstappen SR, referring to a short video that surfaced on social media that showed the two men sharing a lively discussion.
“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’.”
Although the situation inside Red Bull Racing keeps escalating, Verstappen Sr expects Horner to remain at the helm of the Milton Keynes-based outfit for the foreseeable future.
“In 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,” Verstappen Snr added.
“I've already said I think it is causing problems if he stays. 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.
“I said it would bad if he stayed, it really isn't good for the team, this whole situation.”
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