After a short period of calm, tensions have once again flared between Red Bull team director Christian Horner and Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen. However, former Haas F1 director Guenther Steiner believes that these quarrels have no effect on the number 1 driver’s mentality or driving on the track.
Verstappen Sr. was scheduled to be strapped into the 2012 RB8 as part of the Legends Parade at the Red Bull Ring during Austrian GP week. However, the former Benetton driver withdrew at the last minute. Jos Verstappen himself later revealed that it was because he was fed up with Horner trying to sabotage his planned race.
Referring to the fight and its possible impact on Max Verstappen, Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast, “I don’t think it has any effect on Max [Verstappen] – his mental state. Like not having a friendship with Lando [Norris].
Steiner went on to explain that Formula 1 drivers don’t care about background noise when they’re participating in a race. He then also shed some light on the relationship between Horner and Verstappen Sr.
Steiner emphasized that the couple had been at odds for the past six months. Therefore, he felt that they were used to it. He likened their relationship to a couple who often quarrel but quickly get over it.
Steiner, an acquaintance of the late Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, was also asked whether the Austrian would have acted differently to resolve the situation if he were alive today. Regarding this, the Italian-American explained that Mateschitz would never let the situation reach a boiling point.
Steiner explains that if Mateschitz were alive today, and this was happening before his eyes, he would focus on easing tensions immediately instead of letting them linger. Despite this, Red Bull finds itself in a period of great uncertainty.
This whole saga culminated in Horner being accused of “inappropriate behavior”. These tensions later increased when there were reports that there was a power struggle within the group.
However, that is not the end of the drama in this year’s Red Bull training camp. Adrian Newey announced that he will leave the team early next year, and there is speculation that Max Verstappen could also follow.
