Max Verstappen rubbishes reports of rift with Christian Horner
Max Verstappen asked to comment on his relationship with Red Bull boss C🧸hristian Horner
Max Verstappen has rubbished reports claiming that Red Bull F1 team principal Christꦍian Horner and his family have falle🅷n out.
Recent reports in Dutch m♍edia suggested that Horner’s relationship with Verstappen’s father, Joᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚs, had become ‘badly damaged’, and that Verstappen is loyal to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.
There has also been speculation of a power struggle within𒆙 Red Bull but Verstappen insists that his relationship with Horner is as strong as ever.
“It’s the same as alw𝓀ays,” Verstappen told media including mahbx.com.
“I don’t know who likes to write t♊hese things but to me and Chriꦫstian, it’s like always.”
Horner made his first public appearance - at Red Bull’s launch 𝓡of their 2024 F1 car on Thursday - since a complaint of꧑ inappropriate behaviour was made against him.
The 50-year-old h🧜as denied the allegations and continues to work for Red Bull while the investigation is being carried out. He was interviewed by an independent lawyer on Friday about the claims made by a female employee but the hearing finished without conclusion.
Ho💃rner confirmed on Thursday that he intends 🎃to be in Bahrain for next week’s pre-season test.
Asked whether he found the investigation surrounding Horner to be a distraction personally, Verstappen rep✅lied: “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 F1. When I am at home I prefer not to think about F1 too muꦍch, 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, also from the virtualౠ side of things, that I’m working on. So I’m more than busy enough.”
Verstappen said the atmosphere in the team is “good” as Red Bull look to follow up on a record-breaking 2023 se𒊎ason with yet more success in 2024.
“Everyone is motꦇivated again,” he added. “Of course we are all very proud of what we have achieved in the years before but we are also very proud of what we have achieved with this car in terms of the development.
“We’re just looking forward toܫ start the season and hopefully to fight f🅺or wins again.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the grounꦓd, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matte♏r in the sport.
