F1 News: Max Verstappen Hits Out At Father And Christian Horner As Friction Revealed

Alex Harrington | Jun 30, 2024

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (NED) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Amid the exciting weekend of racing at the Austrian Grand Prix where Max Verstappen hit Lando Norris, removing him from the race, a different kind of friction is making headlines. The Dutch driver has openly criticized the ongoing dispute between his father, Jos Verstappen, and Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing. Following his victory in the Austria sprint race, Max highlighted the fact that this is affecting him and the team.

The conflict surfaced publicly when Jos Verstappen revealed in an interview with a Dutch magazine on Friday that Horner had prevented him from participating in the Legends Parade at the Austrian Grand Prix by blocking him from driving the Red Bull 2012 RB8. Jos, aged 52, did not mince words, saying he was "completely done with Horner" and dubbing his actions "childish."

Responding to these allegations, Horner denied any involvement in this decision, stating, "there was no veto from my side."

Max Verstappen, fresh off a race win and caught in the familial and professional crossfire, shared his perspective:

"Naturally of course it's not nice, I think not for myself, not for my dad, not for Christian, not for the team." He elaborated: "Of course you don’t want these things to happen. I think my dad has been quite clear about the reason behind it, and of course I can understand his opinion on that.

“At the end of the day, he gets asked to drive the car, finds out that he’s not wanted to drive the car while my dad, he actually doesn’t care about driving the car, but he got asked and said please do it for the fans, Dutch fans, blah blah blah.

“Red Bull, we have a great relationship with, home track. So I understand. On the other hand, I’m here to focus on the performance side of things, so I want a good relationship with everyone.

“But of course this scenario could have been avoided.”

This latest episode is not the first sign of tension between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner. Earlier in the season, Jos hinted at potential negative impacts on the team's morale and success if Horner continued in his leadership role, following an internal investigation that dismissed certain allegations against Horner.

The repercussions of this dispute could extend far beyond a missed driving opportunity. As Max Verstappen continues to dominate this season for the most part, the harmony and stability of Red Bull's team dynamics hang in the balance - something that should be a focus for them with Mercedes and team chief Toto Wolff making it no secret that they're trying to nab the 3-time champion.