Ex-Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen has insisted that he has no regrets over his controversial remark earlier in the season that Red Bull could be “torn apart”.
The comment was instigated by an investigation into Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who was cleared of allegations made against him by a female employee.
Dissatisfied with the outcome and the situation surrounding his son Max Verstappen, the 52-year-old responded by furiously slating Horner after the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“There is tension here while he remains in position,“ he told the Daily Mail.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart – It can’t go on the way it is, it will explode.
“He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”
Fast forward nine months, and Verstappen is now a four-time F1 champion with Red Bull, despite a mid-season struggle as the RB20’s competitiveness dropped.
However, whilst being asked if he regretted his comments made earlier in the year, Verstappen SR told De Telegraaf: “No, not at all.
“What the team boss does or does not do, that does influence everything that is going on around the team, and therefore around Max.
“Of course I get involved in that, I see it all happening and I do think that I am in a position to say something about it.
“If I am put on the spot, then I will give my opinion – I will never harm Max.
“I look at the overall picture, at the end of the day, I stand by everything I said.”
Verstappen insists Red Bull must ‘prove itself again’ to Max
Looking at the whole picture, Red Bull has had to endure a host of upheavals in 2024 as several senior members have departed, including design guru Adrian Newey.
At the end of it all, Verstappen has retained his crown once again, but his father has stressed that the campaign hasn’t been a pleasant experience with Red Bull.
“On the sporting side, it was a less enjoyable year with all the things going on surrounding the team,” he said.
“But it ends with highlights, which is positive.
“It all turned out very differently than I had thought beforehand, both on a sporting level and the other things around it.
“At the start of the season, Red Bull still looked very strong, but Max was already saying after a few races that the car was not as good as people thought.
“And to what extent all the noise around the team has had an impact on the sporting performance, that’s always hard to put a finger on.”
Verstappen Sr also went on to suggest that Red Bull needs to earn the reigning F1 champion’s trust back by giving him a competitive car in 2025.
“There have been a lot of changes within the team, some people have new positions,” he added.
”I do feel that the team has to prove itself again and that they have to show that we are still fast, that’s important for us.
“That’s the way Max is in it, he pressure is on and that’s the way it should be.
“It’s up to the team to show that they have kept the good people and can build a fast car again.”
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