Jos Verstappen to miss Saudi GP amid Horner furore – sources،
Max Verstappen's father Jos will not attend the Saudi Grand Prix following his comments about Red Bull boss Christian Horner under fire, sources have told ESPN.
Last week, Horner was cleared of any misconduct by Red Bull GmbH, parent company of the racing team, following an investigation into an allegation of inappropriate behavior by a Red Bull Racing employee .
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An email sent from an anonymous account containing messages allegedly related to the case was leaked to the media the day after the complaint was dismissed, but Horner remained in his post.
McLaren boss Zak Brown and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have called on Formula 1 authorities to demand greater transparency from Red Bull over the recent investigation into Horner.
After his son won the Bahrain Grand Prix, Jos Verstappen told the Daily Mail: “There are tensions here as [Horner] remains in position. The team risks tearing itself apart. Things cannot continue like this. It's going to explode. He's playing the victim, even though he's the one causing the problems.”
Verstappen Sr. and Horner were seen having a heated argument the night before the Bahrain Grand Prix, although the Dutchman later returned to apologize.
Verstappen Sr. reportedly told those close to him that his son would leave Red Bull if Horner stayed. He also reportedly dined with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff during race preparation.
Mercedes has yet to find a replacement for Lewis Hamilton when the seven-time champion leaves for Ferrari in 2025. It is unclear whether the reigning world champion shares his father's opinion on Horner or on leaving the team if he stays.
Sources have confirmed to ESPN that, with tensions at Red Bull at a boiling point and with the narrative starting to turn towards him, Jos Verstappen has backed out of attending this week's race in Jeddah.
Throughout his son's career, he was a near-permanent fixture in the F1 paddock. Even though he won't be there, the topic of Verstappen Sr. is likely to dominate the build-up to F1's second race of the season.
His comments about Horner caused a stir. A report in the Telegraph suggests the reigning world champion finds himself in the position of having to choose between his father and the boss of his all-conquering F1 team.
Sources with knowledge of the situation also suggested that this feeling had been building within the team for some time.
Verstappen Sr's tough love approach to his son involves leaving Max at the side of the road on the way home after a disappointing karting result.
Despite his strong stance on Horner, Verstappen Sr is no stranger to controversy himself. After a fight in 1998 on a go-kart track, he was sentenced to five years in non-custodial prison by a Belgian court, after being found guilty of fracturing the victim's skull.
In 2008, Verstappen Sr. was fined and given a three-month suspended prison sentence for threatening Sophie Kumpen, Max's mother, and violating a restraining order.
In November 2011, he denied allegations of assault by an unnamed 24-year-old girlfriend. In January 2012, he was arrested for attempted murder after claiming he crashed his car into his ex-girlfriend in the Netherlands. He was released after two weeks in prison, the charges being dropped due to lack of evidence.
The controversy surrounding Horner and the growing media coverage surrounding his father have done little to diminish Max Verstappen's focus on a fourth world title.
The Dutchman won the first Bahrain race in a gallop, taking pole position, fastest lap and victory while leading every lap of the race – a combination of achievements known in racing as the Grand Slam.
