Jos Verstappen defends his stance on Horner, sparking speculation over Max’s loyalty to Red Bull amid internal tensions.
Has the tension truly subsided at Red Bull? At the start of the season, following the Horner affair, Jos Verstappen suggested that the Milton Keynes team risked falling apart if Horner didn’t leave.
In Abu Dhabi, Jos and Christian were laughing together as if everything had been resolved, but…
“There are tensions here as long as he remains in charge,” Verstappen Sr. declared earlier this year about Christian Horner. “The team is in danger of being torn apart. This cannot go on. It’s going to explode. He plays the victim, yet he’s the one causing the problems.”
Since then, things seem to have calmed down, at least in front of the cameras…
But Max’s father has no regrets about his comments earlier this year and used the last Grand Prix to double down on Christian Horner.
“No, not at all, I don’t regret it. What the team principal does or doesn’t do influences everything happening around the team. And therefore around Max.”
“Obviously, I get involved in this. I see everything happening, and I think I’m in a position to say something about it.”
“If I’m put in the spotlight, then I’ll give my opinion. I will never harm Max. I look at the bigger picture. At the end of the day, I stand by everything I said.”
The rest of the year seemed to vindicate Jos, as key figures like Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley have indeed left the team.
However, with Christian Horner having lost some influence since, Jos is somewhat more content…
“I have that impression. Senior advisor Helmut Marko seems to have regained more power, which I believe is a good thing. The team seems to be coming together a bit more again.”
Did all the tension at Red Bull taint the joy of Max Verstappen’s fourth title, according to Jos?
“From a sporting perspective, it was a less enjoyable year with everything that happened around the team,” he continued. “But it ended with some high points, which is positive.”
“Everything unfolded very differently from what I had imagined at the start. Both in terms of the sporting aspect and everything surrounding it.”
“At the start of the season, Red Bull still seemed very strong, but Max was already saying after a few races that the car wasn’t as good as people thought. To what extent all the noise around the team impacted the sporting performance, it’s always hard to pinpoint.”
Jos puts pressure on Red Bull if they want to keep Max…
With everyone already looking ahead to 2026 and the new engine regulations, and with Max Verstappen about to become a father, the question arises: Does Jos think his son needs a change of environment—and team?
“There have been a lot of changes within the team. Some people have new roles. I feel the team needs to prove itself again and show that it’s still fast. That’s important for us.”
“That’s how Max sees things. The pressure is there, and that’s how it should be. It’s up to the team to show they’ve kept the right people and can still build a fast car.”
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Jos Verstappen Stands Firm on Horner Criticism Amid Tensions Jos Verstappen Stands Firm on Horner Criticism Amid Tensions
