Jos Verstappen shares fresh detail of Christian Horner office argument

Jos Verstappen believes Christian Horner will stay at Red Bull for the remainder of the F1 2024 season.

The father of Max Verstappen has offered his backing to the female employee who has been suspended by Red Bull after her complaints against Horner were dismissed.

Jos is not present at this weekend’s F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix because he is racing himself in a rallying event in Belgium.

"I think it's too late for Christian to say 'leave me alone' but he has the support of the Thai owner so I think he will stay for the rest of the season," he told the Daily Mail.

"I said it would bad if he stayed, it really isn't good for the team, this whole situation."

Jos has shared the truth about the argument he reportedly had with Horner in Bahrain last week.

"That was earlier, on Friday, before the race," he said.

"He was saying to me 'Do you trust me? I will do everything for your son' and we were talking with our hands, we didn't have a fight.

"But on Friday we did have an argument in the office, and I walked out but, in the trailer, he came up to me and said 'Congratulations, good race'."

Jos said about the Red Bull employee who has now been suspended: "I sympathise with the woman, with all that she went through, but we will see what happens.

"Red Bull seem to know what they are doing with her, we will see. But I think it is for her to come out and see what happens.

"I'm not fully up to speed with what is happening with her."

Jos added: "But all these things that are going on are having an influence on Max.

"He was third in the first practice, and all we hear about is Horner and what happened with his situation.

"In the press conference Horner gave the other day it was all about him and his problems when we should be talking about Max, the car, his performance and the race.

'I've already said I think it is causing problems if he stays.'

Red Bull team principal Horner demanded in Saudi Arabia that a line was drawn under the entire saga to end the scrutiny.

Jos reacted to those comments: “I think it's a bit too late for that now. If that's what he wants, fine, but I don't think it will be possible. I don't want to talk too much more as it will create problems.

"But the most important thing for me is that Max is happy, that's what counts for me, I just want him to be happy."

However, even the happiness of star driver Max has come under question in Saudi Arabia, at the second F1 round of the 2024 season.

Red Bull are now investigating Helmut Marko, reportedly over whether he was leaking information to the media.

Max hinted his own future could be linked to Marko’s.

He said: "My loyalty to him is very big, and also I have always expressed this to everyone within the team, everyone high up, that he is an important part in my decision making for all the time in the future as well within the team.”

Comments last week from Jos, about Horner, escalated the situation at Red Bull to new heights.

He said in Bahrain: “The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode.”

He also accused Horner of “playing the victim” at the F1 season-opener.

But Horner then enjoyed the company of Red Bull’s 51% shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya in the paddock.