The three-time F1 world champion responded to a powerful and emotional Instagram post from Piquet
Red Bull are experiencing tension at the top while Max Verstappen dominates on track.
Max Verstappen has made it clear where his loyalties lie with a wedge currently driven between senior figures at Red Bull. Team principal Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Helmut Marko are said to be at loggerheads behind the scenes, while Jos Verstappen – father of the reigning triple world champion – has made his grievances public.
With little in the way of competition on track, Red Bull began denting their own 2024 title hopes with a turbulent few weeks marred by infighting. The saga kicked off when Horner became the subject of an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
The female employee who raised the complaint has now been suspended by Red Bull, and she reportedly intends to appeal their decision to clear Horner of wrongdoing. Leaked WhatsApp messages allegedly from Horner to an unnamed person sent the saga into overdrive late last month.
Jos Verstappen subsequently called on Horner to step down, fearing that Red Bull would be ‘torn apart’ if stayed on as team principal. But the 50-year-old, who strenuously denies wrongdoing, has refused to play ball.
The struggle at the top was brought further into focus during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, when Verstappen Jr’s mentor and ally Marko claimed he was under threat of suspension by Red Bull.
Triple world champion Verstappen then stepped in to make it clear which side he was on. He said: “For me, Helmut is a very key factor in that and he has to stay for me, for sure. I’ve always said that to the team, they know that.
By comparison, Verstappen has only offered qualified support to Horner, praising his impact from a sporting perspective but refusing to disagree with his father’s call for change.
“Listen, when I look at how Christian operates within the team, he has been an incredible team boss,” the 26-year-old said in Bahrain. “So absolutely, from the performance side of things, you can’t even question that. So that’s what I’m also dealing with.
“I speak to Christian a lot, and also throughout the weekend here. He’s fully committed to the team. He’s also here for the performance. Of course probably a little bit distracted. But like I said before, we just focus on the performance side of things and that’s how we all work together.”
