MAX Verstappen could be forced to turn to Mercedes after the in-fighting at Red Bull turned toxic.
The F1 world champion was dragged into the explosive row that went nuclear after his father, Jos Verstappen, called for Christian Horner’s head.
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It threatens to rip Red Bull apart as Max Verstappen has to choose between his dad or the boss of his team.
And paddock sources believe Jos Verstappen’s friendship with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff could see the F1 star jump ship and take the seat left vacant by Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen Snr blew his top – and his cover – after his bombshell comments about the Red Bull chief following a turbulent few days here in Bahrain.
The Dutchman said Red Bull Racing will “explode” if Horner remains team principal.
He said: “There is tension here while he remains in position.
“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 causing the problems.”
Horner was cleared of inappropriate behaviour following an internal investigation after a complaint was raised by a female colleague.
However, 24 hours later an anonymous email leaked damning WhatsApp messages claiming to be evidence that formed part of the report.
Horner would not comment on the images, whose release now seem to be targeted as an orchestrated smear campaign looking to destroy him.
He has not mentioned if they are real or fabricated, either.
It is not known whether Verstappen Snr has any knowledge of the alleged plot to force Horner out, but their friendship is now in tatters.
Horner was given a clear show of support at the Bahrain GP as he was joined by his wife Geri Halliwell.
They chatted with Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, the Dutch billionaire businesswoman who owns 25 percent of the second-largest brewer in the world bearing her surname, making her the richest person in the Netherlands.
Heineken are just one of the many team partners but the fact of her position within Verstappen’s home country had not gone unnoticed.
Perhaps the most significant level of business support came from Chalerm Yoovidhya, the Thai co-owner of Red Bull, who before the race posed with Horner for photographs in front of Max Verstappen’s car.
The reason why Verstappen Snr allegedly planted himself at the centre of the controversy remains unknown.
Paddock rumours suggest the two have been at loggerheads for months.
Jos, a former team-mate of Michael Schumacher, reportedly had a blazing row in Horner’s paddock office after the qualifying race on Friday night.
He is said to have left the office before returning to shake the Red Bull principal’s hand, the Mail reported.
When asked if he was involved behind Horner’s sext leak, Jos strongly denied the claims, saying: “That wouldn’t make sense.
“Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?”
The Sun alleged on Saturday how a mole inside the Red Bull camp had detonated the emailed file to F1 personnel, which claimed to be evidence from the private hearing into a complaint.
Horner, 50, had always denied the allegations and was cleared by Red Bull to continue in his role on Wednesday after the employee’s claim for grievance was dismissed.
The email file dump – known as Google Drive To Survive in the paddock – turned that on its head with Horner defiant he is staying put.
Verstappen responded after his son’s win in the opening race of the season saying: “There is tension here while he remains in position.
The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode.”
A former F1 driver himself, he achieved two podiums in 106 races.
However, he has also been the subject of some scrutiny.
After an incident in 1998 at a karting track where another man suffered a fractured skull, he avoided a suspended jail sentence after agreeing an out-of-court settlement with the victim.
Ten years later, he appeared in court, charged with assaulting his wife, Sophie Kumpen.
He was found not guilty of assault, but guilty of threatening Kumpen in text messages and of violating a previously issued restraining order.
He was fined and sentenced to three months probational, suspended prison sentence.
And in January 2012, he was arrested following accusations that he drove a car into his ex-girlfriend but was released two weeks later after the charge was withdrawn.
He has overseen his son’s career like a hawk and now, with a wedge drive between himself and Horner, it leaves Max Verstappen in an awkward position.
The 26-year-old looks to have a straight choice of picking one side of the other.
Should he choose his father – and Red Bull stick by their decision to keep Horner – it only points one way.
And that is an early exit from his contract with Red Bull.
Added weight is given to the rumour that Jos Verstappen met with Wolff in Bahrain and that Mercedes are investing heavily in their engine division to ensure they have the best power unit for the 2026 season.
For that season, Red Bull Racing will launch a new partnership with Ford with many believing the Silver Arrows will have a clear advantage.
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On Saturday night after Verstappen’s victory, Wolff was asked about the prospect of whether he would be driving for his team in 2025.
Wolff said: “A driver will always choose the quickest car, that is fundamentally what it is all about.”
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