- Christian Horner believes Jos Verstappen staged a campaign against him
- Verstappen senior denied the claims but said there would be tensions if Horner stayed
- Horner was publicly expressed by his wife Geri Horner in Bahrain
Jos Verstappen, father of three-time Formula 1 world champion Max, claimed Red Bull would “explode” if Christian Horner remained team boss.
He made the inflammatory comments as the most toxic weekend in Formula One history ended with a stunning victory for Verstappen Jr in the season opener in Bahrain.
“There is tension here as long as he keeps his position,” Verstappen Snr told Mail Sport.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart.” Things cannot continue as they are. It will explode. “He plays the victim even though he’s the one causing the problems.”
The world's eyes were on the storm surrounding Horner, the 50-year-old husband of former Spice Girl Geri, after sexually suggestive text messages he allegedly sent to a female employee were leaked to the public in a leaked email on Thursday arrived.
Jos Verstappen (right) claims Red Bull will “explode” if Christian Horner stays in the team
Horner and his wife Geri (left) publicly showed their unity despite his text message scandal
That was 24 hours after an investigation by Red Bull's parent company in Stuttgart cleared Horner of “coercive behavior” towards the colleague.
Mail Sport can reveal that Jos, a former team-mate of Michael Schumacher, had a huge row in Horner's paddock office after qualifying on Friday evening.
Verstappen, 51, left the heated meeting before returning to the room and reluctantly shaking his hand.
According to his partners, Horner believes that Verstappen Snr has orchestrated a campaign to unseat him in recent weeks, implying that the Dutchman was even involved in the email leak.
Verstappen denies the claims, saying: “That wouldn't make any sense. 'Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?'
Verstappen Snr believes the off-track drama puts Red Bull in danger of being torn apart
Horner and his partner kissed in Bahrain after the couple sat down for lunch
Horner has refused to comment on the possible motives of those responsible for passing on texts
Horner was very publicly supported by 51-year-old Geri in the paddock.
She accompanied him, hand in hand and full of smiles, from the main entrance to the hospitality area before sitting down for lunch.
After the win, Horner said: “I'm not going to comment on anyone's motives for doing this.”
Asked if he would be in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for next weekend's race and the entire season, he said: “Absolutely. I was always confident that I would be here.”
Geri Horner Christian Horner