“He always pretends nothing is happening,” these are the words used by Jos Verstappen towards Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal. During the Rally of Eastern Belgium, Max's father harshly criticized the management of the team, accusing Horner of ignoring the numerous defections that are weakening the team. “Too many are leaving now, and Horner continues to avoid the subject”, added Jos, expressing his concern for the stability of the team.
A difficult relationship and too many losses for Red Bull
The relationship between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner has always been tense, but now it seems that the situation is getting worse. A few months ago, Jos had already raised the alarm, saying that Red Bull could lose key members of its team. And so it was. Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and, most recently, Will Courtenay, the head of race strategy, have left the team. “I warned you this would happen”, Jos recalled. “The team was like, 'It doesn't matter, we have someone else.' But too many are leaving now.”
Courtenay's farewell and Jos' discontent
The departure of Will Courtenay, head of race strategy, was the latest in a series of high-profile departures for Red Bull. After more than two decades together, Courtenay decided to move to McLaren, joining an exodus that has put pressure on the Milton Keynes team. “Too many people are leaving,” reiterated Jos Verstappen, echoing his previous comments on Horner’s mishandling of such situations. Max’s father’s discontent is not just about the people leaving the team, but also about the impact it is having on his son, who is often questioned about his future due to the team’s internal difficulties.
Red Bull in trouble on and off the track
In addition to internal difficulties, Red Bull's on-track performance has also deteriorated in recent weeks. After dominating the first part of the season, with seven wins in the first ten races, the team has seen a collapse in performance. McLaren has overtaken Red Bull in the constructors' championship, and Lando Norris has begun to close the gap on Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings, reopening the fight for the title. Currently, Max still leads the championship with a 52-point advantage, but the last few races have called the team's supremacy into question.
During the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Christian Horner had praised Sebastien Buemi for the work done in the simulator, which allowed Verstappen to qualify in second position and finish the race in P2 behind Norris. However, Horner's words were not well received by Jos Verstappen, who on RacingNews365 he harshly commented: “Enough of this stupid nonsense,” only to delete the post hours later. This episode further fueled speculation about growing frustration within the Verstappen clan.
Differences Over Horner and Max's Future
Jos' criticism is not limited to the management of human resources, but also concerns Max's future within the team. "Max is asked questions about his future every time. The situation is not good at all," said Jos. The climate of uncertainty that is felt within the Red Bull team has attracted the attention of teams such as Mercedes and Aston Martin. Teams that are closely monitoring Max Verstappen. Ready to seize the opportunity if the three-time world champion decides to leave the team.
Jos reiterated that, despite the signs of crisis, Horner continues to pretend nothing is happening, without addressing the issues that are troubling the team. The pressure on Horner is growing, and Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull could be in question if the situation is not handled more carefully.
Source statements: FormulaPassion