The word around the paddock is that Max Verstappen is not happy with Christian Horner’s stance after he was cleared of recent allegations. The team principal just got out of a controversy. Well, not out yet. But the investigation concluded in his favor. After getting cleared for alleged “inappropriate behavior,” he has started making more public appearances with his wife. While this might give everyone around the impression of a good dynamic, F1 Insider’s Chief Editor, Ralf Bach, believes that Horner could still end up on the losing side of the internal power struggle at Red Bull.

According to F1 Insider, Max Verstappen chose to fly with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko instead of his team boss on the way back from Saudi Arabia. “[Verstappen] rebooked his return flight on [Marko’s] plane – even though he should actually have taken the return journey with Christian Horner.” [Translated by Google] This allegedly happened after the three-time champion showed his undying support for Marko.

During the Saudi Arabian GP weekend, there were claims that Helmut Marko had been suspended in relation to the leaks in Horner’s investigation. After qualifying, Verstappen was asked about Marko’s potential suspension, and he said, “My loyalty to him is very big, and I have always expressed this to everyone within the team that he is an important part in my decision-making for the future within the team.” 

Suggesting that he and Marko are almost like a package deal, Verstappen added, “I feel like if such an important pillar falls away, what I have said to the team, that is not good for my situation as well.” As for the Christian Horner and Max Verstappen situation, Ralf Bach states that in a battle between Marko and Horner, the Dutchman will support the advisor.

At the Saudi Arabian GP, Christian Horner and Red Bull allegedly put up a facade for the media to portray that things are okay within the team. However, per F1 Insider, “We hear the Dutchman was disgusted by the show that his team boss presented in the paddock in Saudi Arabia.” With rumors that Verstappen could possibly leave Red Bull and that Horner himself has said “never say never” to that possibility, only time will tell what his future with the Milton-Keynes outfit will look like.

With all these speculations swirling around, Christian Horner opened up about how the investigation and its aftermath have affected his relationship with his star driver.

Has Christian Horner and Max Verstappen’s relationship really soured?

When F1 Insider claimed that Verstappen didn’t like how Christian Horner portrayed himself in the Jeddah paddock, it was pointing to how “he ran around again holding hands with the ex-Spice Girl (his wife, Geri Halliwell), always looking for cameras to show the whole world that an employee’s allegations were over caught in the air.”

Considering the apparent internal divisions inside Red Bull and rumors about Max Verstappen jumping ship because of them, Horner was asked to comment on his dynamic with the Dutchman. As reported by Formel1, he said, “It’s absolutely fine with Max. He’s, you know, he’s working well within the team. There’s no tension. There’s no stress… We don’t see any issues with Max.”

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However, he did acknowledge that, at the end of the day, no matter how good Red Bull’s car may be, the decision to stay (or leave) will be up to Verstappen. “Without the team working in absolute harmony, it is impossible to achieve performances like this, but if an individual doesn’t want to be in the team, we don’t force people to be here,” Horner told the media.

That being said, what do you think lies ahead for Christian Horner at Red Bull? Could it be a future without Max Verstappen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

“Best Drivers Always Want to Be in the Best Cars”: Christian Horner Dismisses Max Verstappen Exit Rumors