The father of Bahrain Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen has said Red Bull could “explode” if Christian Horner remains principal of the Formula One team.
Reigning champion Verstappen finished more than 22 seconds ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in Saturday’s opening race of the season, which took place three days after Red Bull GmbH, the team’s parent company, dismissed a complaint against Horner.
A misconduct investigation into Horner began after a female Red Bull employee made an allegation of inappropriate behaviour.
An anonymous email containing messages purportedly linked to the case was leaked to the media on Thursday.
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“There is tension here while he remains in position,” Jos Verstappen, who is not an employee of Red Bull Racing, told the Daily Mail.
“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.”
Christian Horner ‘always confident’
Verstappen junior’s views on the matter are not known as he begins his title defence in a season when he is the clear favourite to prevail again.
The 26-year-old’s father was a team-mate of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher during the 1990s.
When it was put to him that he may have been involved in the email leak, Jos Verstappen told the newspaper: “That wouldn’t make sense. Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?”
Horner attended the Grand Prix with his wife Geri, a singer with chart-topping pop group The Spice Girls.
“I’m not going to comment on what motives whatever person may have for doing this,” commented Horner, who said he had full support from Red Bull’s team and parent company.
When he was asked if he would be involved in next week’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the rest of Red Bull’s season, Horner said: “Absolutely. I’ve always been confident I’ll be here.”
A Red Bull spokesperson, quoted by BBC Sport, said: “There are no issues here. The team are united and we are focused on racing.”
