A few days before the
Formula 1
grand prix in Saudi Arabia, next Saturday,
Red Bull
is trying to put the house in order.
According to
The Guardian
, Dubai was the setting chosen by the English boss of the Austrian team,
Christian Horner , for a face-to-face meeting with
Max Verstappen
's representative
, Raymond Vermeulen, with the aim of regaining calm and overcoming the growing tensions within the three-time world champion team.
Days ago, and hours after the consecration in Bahrain, in the first Grand Prix of the season,
Jos Verstappen
, the former driver and father of Max, had unleashed a scandal that added fuel to the fire when he said: "There is tension here as long as Horner remains in his position. The team is in danger of disintegrating. It cannot continue as it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems," he added.
It was his opinion after the scandal that Horner faced in the weeks before the start of the competition, which was closed after an internal investigation by
Red Bull
but which left evident acrimony among the company's shareholders.
In response to Verstappen's comments, a Red Bull Racing spokesperson said: “There are no problems here.
The team is united and we are focused on competing.”
The meeting between interested parties took place 48 hours after Verstappen's father said Red Bull would "explode" if Horner remained in his position as team principal.
However, following the victory in Bahrain, the Briton said he was "absolutely confident" that he would remain as Red Bull boss for the rest of the season.
According to English media, the tone of the meeting between the two was handled quite well.
However, neither Jos nor Max were present, and it was Vermeulen who acted on behalf of the biggest star in world motorsport and his father.
Horner has been facing intense scrutiny in recent weeks following accusations made against him by a person belonging to the team.
The controversy came to nothing, at least for now, but it shook a team that had (and has) all the tools to once again be crowned the best in the world.
The scandal can have unforeseen consequences.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull's strong man, fears Verstappen's departure by 2025, when Mercedes Benz is left without Lewis Hamilton (he is going to Ferrari) and will have to look for a replacement.
This is stated by the specialized media
Auto Motor und Sport
, which also reports on the fear generated in Austria by the possible departure of the star designer,
Adrian Newey
, and the doubts that the extra-sports episodes aroused in
Ford Performance
, the racing team of the American automaker that will partner with RB Racing starting in 2026.
Red Bull Racing's main team and director Christian Horner walk together prior to the press conference.
(Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)
The uncertainty is enormous, although Red Bull, Horner and Verstappen have one great certainty: the RB20 is ready to go out on the track and do what it does best.
This weekend the Saudi Arabia GP is held and the three-time world champion is a big favorite to repeat what he achieved a few days ago in Bahrain.
The noise of the engines promises to cover up the scandal, at least for a while.