Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has denied claims that he has fallen out with Max Verstappen and his family after it emerged that an allegation of inappropriate behaviour had been made against him. The CEO’s future has been thrown into doubt as a result, though Horner insists that he has no intention of walking away from his team.
Horner denied the allegation against him but remains the subject of an investigation by Red Bull. He spoke with an external investigator last week for reportedly eight hours to provide his side of the story and is now continuing to help his side prepare for the start of the 2024 season.
Speculation has been rife since the accusation against Horner was made public, with rumours circulating that there is a rift between the 50-year-old and key members of the Red Bull set-up, including Verstappen and his entourage.
Horner has now responded to those claims, telling Sky Sports: “No not at all. I was with Jos and Max at Silverstone a couple of days ago. Max is very focused on his job. He’s been very supportive and I’m looking forward to the season ahead with him.”
Verstappen also responded at Red Bull’s launch of their new car. The 26-year-old explained: “It’s the same as always, I can tell you that. I don’t know who likes to write these things but to me, Christian is like always.”
Probed on whether he felt that Horner’s investigation was a distraction heading into the new calendar, Verstappen responded: “From my side, I am very focused on my own performance to get ready, to be fit, to be ready to drive the car, to be discussing things with the engineers, what you want to do.
“Plus, my life is not only Formula 1. When I’m at home I prefer not to think about F1 too much outside of my scheduled training. There are a lot of things going on in the background for me also, what I want to do in the future from the virtual side of things that I’m working on. So I’m busy enough at home.”
Horner will be keen to ensure that his ongoing investigation does not become a distraction over the coming weeks when preparation for the upcoming campaign begins to intensify. The calendar begins next week with pre-season testing in Bahrain, and the Brit has confirmed that he will be attending the sessions.
