Jos Verstappen: Red Bull at risk of implosion if Horner stays

The 2024 Formula 1 season kicked off with a dominant victory for Red Bull in Bahrain, but the Milton Keynes outfit continues to faces internal turmoil that threatens its future success.

In the aftermath of accusations against Christian Horner that were dismissed by Red Bull last week, Max Verstappen's father Jos Verstappen has warned that the team could "explode" if Horner remains in charge.

Anonymous leak

Horner was the subject of an internal investigation regarding allegations made by a female Red Bull employee, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing on March 1st.

Barely a day later, anonymous emails revealing the alleged evidence behind the claims were circulated to key F1 figures in an apparent attempt to remove Horner from his position.

Jos Verstappen demands Horner's removal

Speaking to the Daily Mail after Red Bull's dominant Bahrain victory, Jos Verstappen urged,

"The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode. [Horner] is playing the victim when he is the one causing the problems."

Horner's associates suggest Jos Verstappen is spearheading a campaign aimed at removing him from his position, hinting at the possibility that he might have played a role in the dissemination of the controversial emails.

Jos Verstappen responded "Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?"

Verstappen told BBC Sport he had made the comments to the newspaper after a falling out with Horner in Bahrain.

This indicates underlying strains within Red Bull, suggesting that Jos Verstappen, whose son wields significant influence over the team, may have Helmut Marko's support against other factions within the organization.

Jos Verstappen and Toto Wolff met in the paddock during the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

When questioned about the possibility of Max Verstappen moving to Mercedes in 2025, Wolff responded, "Anything is possible."

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Max Verstappen between Horner and Jos

For his part, newly crowned three-time world champion Max Verstappen was repeatedly questioned over the race weekend for his thoughts on his team principal's predicament.

Each time, Verstappen diplomatically focused on Horner's performance, saying "When I look at how Christian operates within the team, he has been an incredible team boss...

"I speak to Christian a lot. And also, of course, throughout the weekend here, he's fully committed to the team."

Implications for Red Bull

While Verstappen and Perez showed little sign of distraction in Bahrain, securing a 1-2 finish, Jos Verstappen's dramatic call indicates that Red Bull is internally divided.

With Ferrari and Mercedes trying to catch up, cracks behind the scenes could derail Red Bull's bid to extend its dominance to a fourth consecutive season.

For now, Horner remains steadfast at the helm, but the warning from Verstappen Sr. suggests turbulence within the team is far from settled as F1 heads next to Saudi Arabia.