Max Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen has told friends his son could be forced to leave Red Bull, it has been claimed.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff is said to have met with Jos, amid speculation the Dutchman is being courted as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton.
The Telegraph has alleged that Jos made it clear that his son could leave Red Bull if the situation with Christian Horner isn’t resolved.
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As quoted by F1-Insider, Wolff responded to questions about his chat with Jos after the race: “I have known Jos for 25 years – with ups and downs and I simply congratulated on his son’s achievement. Max is driving in a galaxy of his own.”
Wolff was then pressed about whether Verstappen could join the team, and he replied: “Everything is possible.”
This week Horner was cleared to continue as Red Bull head after the F1 team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbHan, completed an internal investigation into “inappropriate behaviour”. The 50-year-old has always denied the allegations.
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However the following day the Red Bull team principal was at the centre of attention again following an alleged leak of evidence relating to the case.
Speaking about the latest allegations from Red Bull’s hospitality suite on Friday, Horner said: “I am not going to comment on anonymous speculation from unknown sources.” When asked what comes next, he replied: “We go racing.”
Jos is known to have not seen eye-to-eye with Horner over various issues in the past, however, the Dutchman has categorically denied he is the source of the leak.
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Nevertheless, Jos said the controversy around Horner is "driving people apart".
"It cannot continue this way," said former F1 driver Jos to De Telegraaf. "The situation is not good for the team and is driving people apart."
"Why would I do that? Max has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, is performing great and feels at home here. I have no interest in that at all."
Amid reports of tension between Jos and Horner a Red Bull spokesperson said: "There are no issues here. The team are united and we are focused on racing."
Topics: Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1
Chris Byfield