On Sunday, the Telegraaf reported that Max Verstappen had been approached by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, to publicly support Christian Horner.
BBC Sport independently verified the story. This followed Verstappen's qualified support for Horner during the lead-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he was repeatedly questioned about his confidence in Horner. The FIA has been contacted for comment. Verstappen's involvement is significant due to his influence within Red Bull stemming from his on-track success. It also highlights internal tensions within Red Bull, including conflicts between Horner and Helmut Marko, as well as between the Thai majority owners and executives in Austria. Last year, the Verstappens sided with Marko after his disagreement with Horner. The company's ownership structure is divided, with 51% owned by the Yoovidhya family and 49% by Red Bull in Austria, led by Mark Mateschitz, the son of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who passed away in October 2022.
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2024 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
2024 Formula 1 World Championship Drivers' Standings
FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2024 - Race Results
FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2024 - Top 10 Qualifying Results
Max Verstappen's dad, Jos, was present in the paddock on what turned out to be a chaotic Thursday for Red Bull. Christian Horner's future remains a topic of hot debate despite being cleared of alleged inappropriate behaviour following a lengthy investigation.
Horner was all smiles at the start of the day as he resumed normal service after a complaint made by a female Red Bull employee was dismissed by the drinks company. The 50-year-old had been carrying out his F1 duties amid a backdrop of uncertainty while an independent barrister brought in by Red Bull compiled their findings. On Thursday afternoon, another bombshell hit the paddock as a Google Drive folder, allegedly containing messages and photos from Horner to an unnamed person, was sent to journalists by an anonymous source. The Red Bull team principal responded by saying: "I won't comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations. "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." According to The Times, Horner was seen leaving the Red Bull garage after Thursday's Bahrain practice sessions before stopping for a quick word with F1 legend David Coulthard and heading inside. Max Verstappen can look back on an excellent first day of testing. In Bahrain, the Dutchman drove by far the most laps of all drivers and was more than a second faster than the rest of the field.
There were no problems for the three-time world champion. At the Bahrain International Circuit it was Verstappen who set the pace right from the start. The Limburger already finished the morning session as the fastest and after lunch he went even further. Second faster Verstappen drove 142 laps, which amounts to more than 2.5 times the normal race distance. The three-time world champion managed to set a time of 1:31.344, making him 1.1 seconds faster than number two Lando Norris. Carlos Sainz clocked the third fastest time, a tenth behind Norris. Verstappen's test day went smoothly. The mood at the formation was high, which indicated that the entire program had gone entirely according to plan. There were no major problems all day. Verstappen will be in action again on Thursday after the lunch break. The morning belongs to Sergio Pérez, who will also take care of the last day on Friday.
FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2023 - Race Results
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