'Relationship between Jos Verstappen and Red Bull's Horner has cooled'

While Christian Horner was preparing to present the RB20, the car with which his team hopes to be the best in the world in 2024 again, the team boss suddenly has to fear for his job. On Friday, the Briton will be questioned by an independent lawyer about possible inappropriate behaviour. If the results of the investigation are not satisfactory for Red Bull, Horner's end at the team is imminent.

Meanwhile, speculation is rampant. One question is how the story could get into the media in the first place. De Telegraaf was the first to know about it but published only after F1-Insider brought it. Earlier this week, the Daily Mail reported that the Dutch newspaper had been threatened with legal action if published.

Max Verstappen loyal to Helmut Marko and father Jos

That a Dutch medium of choice was the first to hear the news is no coincidence, according to Motorsport-Total. Behind the scenes in Formula 1, rumour has it that the personal relationship between Horner and Jos Verstappen has cooled considerably. Max Verstappen is loyal to Helmut Marko and his father Jos, according to the website. In other words, if the choice is between these two and Horner, the three-time world champion will not choose his team boss.

It is important to stress that there is no evidence that 'the Verstappen camp' (so to speak) passed on information about the allegations to De Telegraph. However, it can be stated without a doubt that Red Bull is quite upset with the matter, so shortly before the start of the season.