Ben Hunt: The background to Red Bull’s latest F1 rift
This weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring was supposed to be a celebration of the Red Bull team’s 20th year in Formula 1.
Billed as a pageantry of the energy drink’s success, involving plenty of PR - including the use of a 180mph super-drone developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies - to capture the moment, it is also an opportunity to toast the team’s late founder and Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz following his death in October 2022. And perhaps, it posed a chance to cast all its recent strife and stories of boardroom battles into the past.
Things had started well enough on Thursday. Somewhat begrudgingly, world champion Max Verstappen did indeed commit his immediate future to the team, cooling talk of him signing for Mercedes.
In doing so, it had appeared to bring an end to the turbulence which had been started by Jos Verstappen at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Sparked by a complaint made against Horner by a female colleague, Verstappen Sr was not happy about the outcome of the internal investigation that resulted in Horner maintaining power.
Verstappen Sr made bombastic comments, warning that the team was "in danger of being torn apart", while Red Bull was plunged into its biggest crisis during its F1 tenure. The blowback that followed threatened to destabilise the team considerably, or even see the whole operation come crashing down.
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing with Jos Verstappen
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing with Jos Verstappen
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Over the past three months, two things had become evident. Firstly, Horner had patched up his relationship with his driver. Secondly, he had done so at a time when Verstappen had been mainly absent from his son’s side.
He was also missing when Verstappen Jr spoke in the press conference at the Red Bull Ring where he confirmed his intention to remain with the team.
It is likely he was quickly brought up to speed when he arrived in the paddock and into the Red Bull hospitality at 3pm on Thursday, some 90 minutes after his son had pledged his allegiance to Horner’s team.
The following day, in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Verstappen Sr claimed Horner had tried to stop him from taking part in a Legends Parade at the Red Bull Ring where he was due to drive the 2012 RB8 car.
"Over the past few days, I have heard from several people that Christian Horner did everything he could to make sure I didn't drive,” he said.
"And to otherwise make sure nothing would be filmed. Then I think: say it to my face. This way I don't want to do it anymore, I find it very disappointing.”
Ceasefire over. He had turned up and started to lob grenades in Horner’s direction, his participation in a parade before Sunday’s GP here in Austria seemingly at the heart of the matter.
So what triggered the latest spat that has threatened to take the shine off their weekend?
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing and father Jos Verstappen
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing and father Jos Verstappen
Photo by: Erik Junius
Red Bull Racing says it only learned of his involvement in the parade on 15th June, when it was flagged on an internal memo from the energy drink’s Austrian HQ.
On a list advertising the line-up of cars taking place in the demonstration, due to be a PR-heavy event that was all captured by the aforementioned new super-drone, Verstappen’s name was next to the RB8, which was driven by Sebastian Vettel during his title-winning season in 2012.
This was indeed corroborated by Red Bull Racing’s heritage division, which had received a request for the RB8 and the RB1, which was being driven by David Coulthard, to be shipped to Austria.
This was quickly escalated to Horner’s attention. He then contacted Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments of Red Bull, who sources say also had no knowledge of Verstappen’s inclusion in the event.
The Legends Parade is something that sits outside of Red Bull Racing’s remit and is organised by Red Bull’s Austrian HQ in Fuschl am See, the same division that owns the Red Bull Ring.
It is understood and important to note that, in a meeting with Horner and the Red Bull board, Verstappen’s inclusion was agreed.
However, the situation then becomes convoluted and could account for Verstappen’s outburst of frustration.
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, in the Team Principals Press Conference
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, in the Team Principals Press Conference
Photo by: Mark Sutton
At the request of the race team - not Horner - his appearance in the event was not to be posted across their social media with images of him driving the RB8 also excluded from their in-house media service.
He would be allowed to drive in the event but, as far as the team was concerned, it would only be reserved for those who witnessed it in person at the Red Bull Ring - the reason being that he had damaged the team’s reputation with his words in Bahrain. But he would not be excluded from the TV cameras, merely Red Bull's own in-house channels.
It is understood that while he was out for dinner on Thursday night, Verstappen was told by at least two sources that his appearance in the Legends Parade would not be filmed. It is unclear here whether he was told it had been a blanket ban, or indeed just Red Bull Racing’s channels.
Subsequently, he sought to explain his position in De Telegraaf while also announcing his decision to withdraw from the Legends Parade.
His place in the Legends Parade, which has never received so much attention, will now be taken by long-standing Red Bull demo driver Patrick Friesacher, a former Minardi F1 racer.
In what could be best explained as a case of crossed wires or even a storm in a teacup, it has nonetheless reopened the wounds at Red Bull at the worst possible time.