JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Max Verstappen has avoided mentioning his father’s strong criticism of Red Bull chief Christian Horner, but he has stated that he cannot imagine racing in Formula One without his father by his side.
Verstappen, 26, also downplayed a prospective move to Mercedes in 2025, in what has become a side story to the feud between his father and team president, claiming he intends to extend his current deal with Red Bull until 2028 as long as “the performance is there”.
It’s been a fantastic week for reigning world champions Red Bull; last week, Horner was cleared by parent firm Red Bull GmbH after a misbehavior inquiry prompted by a complaint from a female F1 team employee.
Verstappen won the first race in a canter a few days later, but his father, Jos, a former Formula One driver, stole the headlines in the hours that followed, claiming the team would “explode” if Horner remained in charge.
Horner was observed arguing with Verstappen Sr. on Friday night, before the Bahrain Grand Prix.
When asked if he agreed with his father’s views that the team could “explode” with Horner around, Verstappen said, “I’m not sure, I hope not!
“It should not. It’s a strong corporation with a strong team and many strong team members, so generally not.”
Verstappen was then asked if he could stay on the team with Horner, to which he replied, “Well, we are [together] at the moment”.
Over the last several weeks, there has been mounting speculation in the F1 paddock about Verstappen’s need to break free from the influence of his father, who has been a near-permanent feature of Red Bull’s hospitality unit and garage since his son joined the team in 2016. He was emphatic about that.
“I don’t see myself in F1 without them,” he stated, referring to his father and long-time manager Raymond Vermeulen. “I haven’t asked him [about the comments], but my father is extremely forthright and not a liar, for sure.
“My dad and I are quite close. We make calls every day.
Verstappen Sr is not expected to attend the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend. In a recent interview with Dutch media, the 52-year-old hinted that if Horner stays, his son may leave Red Bull.
Max Verstappen stated, “Things must go really crazy, I guess, but that’s not the target for everyone.”
