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Red Bull boss Christian Horner might have breathed a sigh of relief until the media interviews in Bahrain revealed that his star driver Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, was taking direct aim at his position within the team. The saga that began in January has now started to overshadow the season itself.
The first race of the F1 season was marred by off-track action, beginning with Christian Horner being discharged from any wrongdoing by Red Bull, followed by a leak of the alleged evidence in the Horner investigation to the FIA president, the FOM, and hundreds of media personnel.
After Max Verstappen's dominant display in Bahrain, this off-track situation resurfaced when Jos Verstappen claimed in front of media sources that the Christian Horner saga would break the team.
In all of this, though, the 'Red Bull civil war' could culminate with Max Verstappen taking a final call.
The sad reality of the Christian Horner scandal
The sad reality of the Christian Horner scandal—something that seems to have become transparent—is that this situation is more of a powerplay within Red Bull, and the focus seems to have shifted away from the alleged victim.
The alleged evidence that was leaked (with rumors of a second one on its way) and the timing of it have shifted the focus to what this whole situation was never viewed as. The general perception of the Christian Horner investigation was that it was solely based on a complaint made against him.
With the systematic leaks and revelations at very critical points from a few media outlets, the whole thing has turned into a hit job against the Red Bull boss. The timing of the alleged evidence leak, a day after Horner was cleared, or the other systematic reports has given a feeling that someone is out to get Christian at this stage.
Unfortunately, if there was a case of harassment against Horner, it has taken a backseat.
Jos Verstappen's forceful insertion (involvement?)
Jos Verstappen's presence in Bahrain was the first thing that came as a surprise, as Jos has focused more on his racing in recent years. Hence, it was a bit of a surprise to see him in the paddock anyway.
To add to this, Jos Verstappen is not one of the people who loves giving soundbites to the media, especially English media like the Daily Mail.
Max Verstappen's father was just trying to make a statement and get his message out. The question, though, is: why was he doing that?
He holds no power and isn't associated with Red Bull in any official capacity. But at a time when even the paddock sentiment appears to be that Christian Horner is being targeted in a hit job, why is Jos coming out and adding fuel to the fire?
What's interesting to see is that the prominence of a Dutch publication in this entire scandal has been unmistakable. Jos Verstappen has, however, denied having any role in what has been going on behind the scenes in the Red Bull-Christian Horner situation.
Max Verstappen has a decision to make
This is where Max Verstappen comes into the picture, and, dare we say, there is an argument to be made on whether he should take a page from Lewis Hamilton's book. It does appear to be the case that Jos Verstappen has been openly talking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in what was a clear power move that his son could leave Red Bull.
Whether Christian Horner was guilty or not is a decision to be taken by Red Bull or a possible intervention from the FIA or FOM. What Jos Verstappen is doing is blatantly disrupting the team dynamics at Red Bull, a team his son drives for.
According to a report published by the Telegraph, Jos Verstappen has claimed that Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull if Christian Horner is not pushed out. On any fundamental level, anyone who has followed the sport to any degree would attest to the role that Horner has played in the team's success.
Jos, of all people, should know the debilitating impact the entire situation could have on the team, and he should also know that dominance in Formula 1 is not a guarantee and should not be taken for granted. This is where Max Verstappen, a 3-time world champion with more than 50 race wins, needs to step in.
Jos Verstappen is not someone who is known for taking a step back and changing his mind. That's just not him. Unless Christian Horner is pushed out, a move that damages Red Bull and deals a major blow to the team, Max Verstappen has two options.
Either he sides with his father and moves out of Red Bull to Mercedes, a move that would mean leaving the most dominant team in F1 history to a team that Lewis Hamilton thought wasn't fit enough to give him an eighth title. Or he sticks with Red Bull and asks Jos to take a backseat in his career.
Neither option is easy, but at least one of them sees Max Verstappen in a strong car in the immediate future. This is where Max could take a leaf out of Lewis Hamilton's career, where even he had to ask his father Anthony to take a step back midway through his career.
Come the F1 Saudi Arabian GP, all eyes will be on Max Verstappen and the side he takes in this entire saga.
