Red Bull’s presence in the public eye has extended beyond their dominant win at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Verstappen led a one-two finish with teammate Sergio Perez. In the midst of the whirlwind of controversy surrounding Red Bull, team principal Christian Horner engaged in crucial discussions with Max Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, in order to address any existing off-track discord before the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. This meeting, as reported by the Press Association, took place in Dubai without the presence of Max or Jos Verstappen, but was reported to have gone well.
Red Bull’s prominence in the media has gone beyond their impressive victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Verstappen secured a one-two finish alongside teammate Sergio Perez. In recent weeks, there has been scrutiny surrounding Horner, although he was cleared of allegations of inappropriate behavior following an independent investigation. However, the controversy persisted as supposed evidence from the investigation was anonymously sent to F1 media and officials, raising doubts about the credibility of these claims and prompting no direct response from Horner.
The situation escalated with Jos Verstappen openly criticizing Horner, suggesting potential conflicts within the team due to ongoing issues. Amidst this turmoil, rumors have circulated about Max Verstappen potentially switching to Mercedes and potentially replacing Lewis Hamilton, which has added additional pressure on Horner and the Red Bull team.
Despite these challenges, Verstappen has publicly expressed his support for Horner. Speaking from Bahrain, Verstappen praised Horner’s leadership within the team, emphasizing his exceptional role as a team boss and highlighting his unwavering dedication to performance. Verstappen acknowledged that Horner may have distractions but reaffirmed their collective focus on performance. He stated, “I speak to Christian a lot, and throughout the weekend here, he’s fully committed to the team. He’s also here for the performance, despite being a bit distracted. But, as I’ve said before, we just focus on the performance side of things, and that’s how we all work together.” This demonstrates a united front amidst the ongoing controversies surrounding the team.