Verstappen's Red Bull break clause detailed amid dad's bitter Horner row
Max Verstappen has a unique avenue to depart Red Bull amid the fierce dispute between his father Jos and team principal Christian Horner.
Verstappen produced a dominant display in the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain, but his weekend win was in part overshadowed by controversy surrounding Horner. The Red Bull chief was cleared of inappropriate conduct towards a female colleague, but one day later a series of alleged private messages from Horner to the unnamed colleague were then leaked.
In the midst of the allegations, Horner and Jos were seen having a frank discussion. The Dutchman has spoken critically of Horner in the aftermath.
"It cannot continue this way," said the former Formula 1 driver. "The situation is not good for the team and is driving people apart."
Jos also told the Daily Mail: “There is tension here while he [Horner] remains in position. The team is in danger of being torn apart. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”
Pierre Gasly was allowed to leave AlphaTauri due to worries over his F1 future
Scrutiny over Verstappen's place as Red Bull's lead driver has emerged as a result. The world champion sent manager Raymond Vermeulen to hold talks to clear the air with Horner. Senior figures are said to have been present at the meeting as parties look to ease tensions to continue their success.
Verstappen is said to have a clause in his contract, due to run until 2028, that could see him walk away from the Milton Keynes-based team should a key ally depart. The 26-year-old fought to maintain the position of the team's motorsport adviser Dr Helmut Marko, amid talk that the 80-year-old could have been forced to depart in a move for which Horner was held responsible.
Horner and Jos Verstappen appeared to be having an animated conversation with each other (Sky Sports)January saw Marko extend his time with Red Bull until the end of the 2026 season. Verstappen's £50million-a-year contract is reported to have a break clause that allows him to leave, should the Austrian depart.
Verstappen senior was seen speaking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in Bahrain, claimed to be a meeting between friends. However, it is a scene in stark contrast to that of his relationship with Horner.
Wolff has put the emphasis on F1 bosses to "set the compass right" regarding the allegations made against Horner. He said: "Let's see where it goes in the next few days.
"I would very much hope that the governing body and the commercial rights' holder set the compass right. But the moment I continue to question how this has been handled, I am probably not doing any good to the whole issue, because then it could be seen as this just being about a power fight within F1.
"That's why it should not be in the teams' (Red Bull's) hands. It's a much bigger topic than that and I don't want to diminish the whole situation by making it seem like the Mercedes guy is talking about the Red Bull guys."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
