Verstappen: Jos-Horner dispute could have been sidestepped
Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
SPIELBERG, Austria -- Max Verstappen believes that the latest dispute between his father, Jos, and Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, could have been sidestepped. Verstappen shared his views in a news conference on Saturday, emphasizing the regrettable nature of the conflict.
The ongoing friction between Jos Verstappen and Horner came to light again during the Austrian Grand Prix, the home race for Red Bull. Jos Verstappen alleged that Horner had prevented him from driving a 2012 Red Bull car in the Legends' Parade at the circuit this weekend.
On Friday, Horner denied obstructing Jos Verstappen's participation. However, Max Verstappen addressed the matter after Saturday's sprint race, asserting that the entire incident was avoidable.
"Naturally of course it's not nice, I think not for myself, not for my dad, not for Christian, not for the team," Max Verstappen stated. "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, because 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, yep."
The rift between Horner and Jos Verstappen originated earlier this year following accusations of inappropriate behavior against Horner by a female colleague—accusations that Horner denied.
An internal investigation by Red Bull exonerated Horner, but the aftermath saw Jos Verstappen declaring that Horner's continued presence at the team risked it being "torn apart."
Despite the ongoing tensions, Max Verstappen confirmed on Thursday that he would remain with Red Bull next year, dispelling persistent rumors of a potential move to Mercedes. Max, a three-time champion, holds a contract with Red Bull extending until the end of 2028.
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