FORMULA ONE has been rocked by yet another bombshell after Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Max Verstappen he could leave the team if he wanted.
It comes after a whirlwind 10 days following Horner being cleared of inappropriate action towards a female colleague.
The subsequent fallout has become toxic between the 50-year-old and Verstappen’s father Jos, who accused Horner of ripping the team apart.
There has also been accusations of a power play at the top of the energy drink’s HQ, which is based in Austria and their Thai majority shareholder.
Now, after growing frustrated by bombastic claims from Verstappen’s father, Horner appears to have called his driver’s bluff while Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he would do” handstands” to try and get the three-time world champion in his car for next season as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.
Speaking after Verstappen won the Saudi GP, Horner said: “You can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper.
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“If somebody didn’t want to be at this team, then you know, we’re not going to force somebody against their will to be here.
“That applies whether it’s a machine operator or a designer or somebody in one of the support functions, that runs through the business.
“Being involved in a team like this involves commitment and passion. And Max has that, we’ve seen that.
“He’s been here since he was 18 years of age. And I have no doubt that his commitment and passion.
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“But no individual is bigger than the team.
“We have a phenomenal car. We’ve got one seat open for next year. I probably got 16 drivers that are desperate to be in that car for next year.
“I’m sure every team in the paddock would love to have Max but as Toto also said the best drivers always want to be in the best cars.”
Wolff was quizzed if he would want Verstappen in his team to fill the void left by Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
He said: “I’d love to have him.
“I think this is a decision that Max needs to take and there is no team up and down the grid that wouldn’t do handstands to have him in the car.”
Meanwhile, Horner reiterated that he would not force his driver to stay against his wishes after being asked if he feared losing the 26-year-old.
He said: “You can never say never. If a driver doesn’t want to be somewhere, then they’ll go somewhere else.
“But as a team, I can’t see any reason why anybody would want to step out of this team. I think he’s got a great support around him. And he’s doing a wonderful job with a great car.
“We’re focused on winning, and that’s what we do. That’s what we’ve done today. That’s how we’ve started this season.
“Obviously, I’m aware of all that noise, but it hasn’t distracted the team from the job and we are one team now obviously.
“We all have a common interest, which is the performance of the team and that is what comes first for every single member who has a role to play in the team.
“From the very top to the very bottom. And without the team working in absolute harmony, it is impossible to achieve performances like this.
“But if an individual doesn’t want to be at the team, we don’t force people to be here.
“People are here and they work in this sport and this team because they want to be here, because they’re passionate about what they do.
“It is that passion that enables us to deliver not average results, but exceptional results. And it’s that passion and commitment by every member which is the DNA of Red Bull Racing.
“And that will continue not just this week, not next week. But we’ve done 20 years and will continue for the next 20 years.”
It comes after Verstappen threatened to quit Red Bull if team advisor Helmut Marko, 80, is forced out as the fallout from the Horner investigation continues.
Marko will meet Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff at the Saudi GP after being quizzed about the rumour that he could be suspended and forced to miss the next race in Australia.
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Marko, who is a Red Bull employee as opposed to a member of the race team, told the Austrian broadcaster ORF the “theoretical possibility exists”.
But he added: “In the end I decide for myself what I’m going to do.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
