Face to face with journalists
The team principals' press conference, which took place today in Jeddah after the morning's FP1, obviously saw the focus of all the journalists' attention Christian Horner. The number one on the Red Bull wall – in the midst of the very delicate controversy between him and an employee of the team – was predictably bombarded with questions about his and the team's future. In the few days of the transfer from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, tensions within the team exploded due to the harsh words pronounced by Jos VerstappenMax's father.
Tensions with Jos Verstappen
Following this outburst by the former Dutch driver and his talks with the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, word spread in the paddock of a possible sensational transfer of Verstappen to Mercedes in 2025. “I am aware of the comments that have been made – declared Horner in reference to the words expressed by Verstappen senior – there was a discussion before the race and I think everyone's focus is on the future. The team is focused on defending both titles (Drivers and Constructors) that we fought so hard for. Max has three titles behind him to start from, his 55 victories that he has achieved, the 114 victories that we have achieved as a team. Now we are focused on the future. The discussion (with Jos Verstappen) took place before the Bahrain GP and now we all look ahead. There have inevitably been discussions between the parties and they are private. Now the team is focused on the challenges that are ahead of us. Max has made a commitment to us until 2028. Jos is his father and played a key role in his career, but he speaks for himself and Max speaks for himself.”.
In defense of the family
In the afternoon the news was also confirmed that Horner's accuser has been suspended from the Red Bull team. The British manager declined to comment on this update – “It's a confidential thing. I'm not at liberty to talk about it” – and asked respect for one's private life: “There has been a lot of attention on this topic. A complaint was raised, it was investigated thoroughly and it was dismissed. Now let's move on – Horner declared – the issue has aroused great interest in various media for several reasons. I think the time has come to put a stop to it. All the attention on my wedding was very hard to take. When children and family are involved, it's not nice. My wife supported me a lot, as well as my family, but the intrusion towards my family was enough. Now we need to move forward and focus on what we are here for: competing“.
Geri Halliwell and Oliver Mintzlaff expected in Jeddah
The Telegraph also confirmed that Horner's own wife, Geri Halliwell, is expected in Saudi Arabia. The former Spice Girl was originally not supposed to travel to Jeddah, but it looks like she will be there again alongside her husband. On the circuit she is expected to make an appearance too Oliver Mintzlaff, number one in the Red Bull sporting area after Mateschitz's death. It will be interesting to understand if his presence will determine an evolution – and in what sense – of Horner's position at the helm of the team.
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