Verstappen opens up on father Jos' public Horner criticism

Max Verstappen has reacted to his father Jos' public criticism of Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.

Verstappen Snr's comments came shortly after the Bahrain Grand Prix, a weekend that was largely overshadowed by the allegations made by a Red Bull employee against Horner.

After Horner was cleared following questioning by an external lawyer, an anonymous email sent to F1 bosses and journalists showed screenshots that were alleged to be between Horner and the complainant.

Jos Verstappen declared that Red Bull would be 'torn apart' should Horner stay in his position, a declaration that surprised many after Max had provided his public support for the team boss.

When questioned about the situation ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen insisted that he was focused on the performance side of operations.

“I’m the driver, I don’t know what’s happening higher up,” Verstappen told media including RacingNews365. “But from my side, I’m contracted to focus on the performance side of things.

“That’s what I’ll focus on this weekend. What has been said in Bahrain from everyone is to just leave that behind and hopefully have a quieter weekend here.”

Verstappen avoiding choosing sides

Verstappen's management circle is made up of his father and long-time associate Raymond Vermeulen.

The three-time World Champion detailed that he doesn't “see myself in F1 without them by my side” but is hopeful that matters can be straightened out between Jos and Horner.

“I guess he [Jos] clearly felt like that. But from my side, it doesn’t matter being on one side or the other side,” he said.

“As a son of my dad’s it would be weird to be on a different side [than him]. But I just want to focus on the performance side of things and have less talk of what we are doing outside of the track than actual performance. We have a great car and look forward to a great year.

“Everyone in general, even if you have arguments or not, there are always things that can be worked out.

“Everyone is man enough and respectful enough to each other. I’ve not always agreed with things in general in F1, and that’s why it’s good to have a discussion about things.

“You might agree to disagree sometimes, that is sometimes what is happening in a relationship. That’s how it goes.

Verstappen added: “From how I know him already in go-karting, my dad is very outspoken. He’s not a liar, that’s for sure.”