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Max Verstappen’s Father Jos Wants Christian Horner Out: “He Is Playing the Victim”

Published 03/03/2024, 5:59 AM EST

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It took weeks but the verdict finally came as Red Bull GmbH cleared Christian Horner of any wrongdoing right before the season opener in Bahrain. The favorable verdict means Horner maintains his post and integrity around the paddock and in the world of F1. Or does he? Well, many still feel conflicted because of the fiasco as some have lost faith in the British boss. Among those is the father of Max Verstappen, Jos, and he’s made a fiery statement to address the controversy.

The investigators cleared Horner of any wrongdoing on Wednesday, a day before the race weekend began. However, 24 hours later, anonymous emails were sent to senior F1 personnel, including team principals and media with the alleged evidence of the wrongdoing. This email, the Austrian company’s continued ambiguity surrounding the investigation, and their reluctance to elaborate have helped maintain tensions around the paddock, especially in the Red Bull garage and Jos Verstappen gave us proof.

via Reuters

As quoted by Motorsport, Jos Verstappen said, There is tension here while he remains in position. The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

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Christian Horner Focuses on “Work and Family” as Tension Around Red Bull Investigation Rises

Scorching remarks from the Dutch champ’s father who perhaps wants to protect his son from any distractions chasing his fourth title in a row. We are not sure what the reason is but there seems to be a bad taste in everyone’s mouth thanks to the Horner controversy because Jos Verstappen isn’t the only one speaking up.

Former boss grills Red Bull for the handling of the Christian Horner situation

Red Bull GmbH hired a third-party prosecutor who thoroughly and fairly investigated the allegations toward Horner for almost 22 days. After 22 days, a 100+ pager investigation was concluded and Horner was acquitted of his crimes.

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However, the contents of the 100 pages are not made public. There is still a lot of vagueness on the accusations and findings the private solicitor came across to deem Horner not guilty. In this public world of F1, this extremely talked about incident cannot be closed up without explanation and this is what former boss Eddie Jordan feels as well.

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He made a robust statement as well and spoke for many when he said, “I’ve seen a lot of bad decisions. But the situation at Red Bull is one of the most absurd things I have ever seen. Of course, Horner is initially assumed to be innocent, but does anyone seriously think that the employee made up the accusations and that they just came out of the blue?”

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WATCH THIS STORY: Christian Horner Sparks Rivalry: Toto Wolff’s F2 Remark Refuted

Red Bull is currently putting itself under unwanted and prolonged pressure by keeping the contents of the investigation private. This is exactly why many F1 entities, especially the ones close to the team are still feeling uncomfortable with tensions still persistent within the garage.

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Written by:

Mahim Suhalka

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Mahim is a senior Formula 1 writer at EssentiallySports. With a Diploma in Sports Management, he ventured into sports journalism for his sheer passion for F1. Mahim has written over 2000 articles during his tenure at ES, and his expertise is in perspective pieces and core sports coverage.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare