Max Verstappen's dad: Red Bull 'in danger of being torn apart' amid team principal's controversy

Max Verstappen’s dad offered a warning about the future of Red Bull Racing as team principal Christian Horner's controversy over allegations of misconduct toward a team employee engulfed Formula One before the start of the season.

Jos Verstappen, a former F1 star himself, told The Daily Mail the Red Bull team will "explode" if Horner continues as principal.

"There is tension here while he remains in position," he told the U.K.-based newspaper. "The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems."

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Max Verstappen and Christian Horner celebrate after the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 2, 2024. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen won Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix to start the season where he left off in 2023. As the 2024 season should have been welcomed with excitement, the controversy at Red Bull was the talk of the track.

The team’s parent company dismissed a complaint of alleged misconduct by Horner toward a team employee on Wednesday. 

However, on Thursday during a practice for the race, a file alleged to contain evidence against Horner, including text messages, was emailed to nearly 200 people in the F1 paddock, including Liberty Media, F1, the FIA, team principals and media outlets, according to The Associated Press.

Jos Verstappen was accused of leaking the file, but he denied it.

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Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, arrives prior to the first free practice for the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix in Spielberg, Austria, July 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

Horner has maintained his innocence.

"I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations," according to a statement read to journalists by a team spokesman Thursday, which was attributed to Horner.

"I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way. "It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister and it has concluded, dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem told the Financial Times that the controversy around Horner was "damaging the sport" but the FIA wouldn’t conduct its own inquiry unless a complaint is lodged.

He said any complaint filed with its compliance office would be investigated, but it has not received one.

Max Verstappen celebrates after placing first during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix, March 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

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"It’s damaging the sport," Ben Sulayem said. "This is damaging on a human level."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.