Jos Verstappen has spoken for the first time since a female Red Bull employee was suspended in the Christian Horner Red Bull saga – and given her his backing.
Formula 1 boss Horner, 50, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, 51, was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ last month with the unidentified woman, but subsequently exonerated in an investigation.
The university graduate is a colleague of the Red Bull team principal and after he was cleared, she was suspended earlier this week, on full pay because of the probe.
Officials claimed it was because she had been ‘dishonest’ but sources have expressed shock claiming she has been hung out to dry while Horner has kept his £8 million a year job.
But the woman has now won backing from former Grand Prix ace Verstappen snr, 52, who is the father of current world champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s prime driver.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline while taking part in the Hannut Rally in Belgium, he said: ‘I sympathise with the woman, with all that she went through, but we will see what happens.’
The woman was suspended after messages of the embarrassing texts supposedly between the woman and Horner were leaked.
When asked if it was time to ‘draw a line’ under the situation, as Horner said at his press conference in Saudi Arabia ahead of this weekend’s race, Verstappen snr was dismissive.
He said: ‘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.’
Rumours have been swirling around the F1 circuit that it was Verstappen snr who leaked incriminating texts between the woman and Horner last month.
And there have even been suggestions he is involved with her, but he has denied any such involvement.
When asked again about her fate Verstappen snr – who was driving a Skoda in the rally – said: ‘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.’
He 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.’
Verstappen snr added: ‘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.
‘I said it would bad if he stayed, it really isn’t good for the team, this whole situation.’
After last weekend’s race in Bahrain, Verstappen snr and Horner were pictured talking animatedly in a trailer home.
But Verstappen snr laughed off any suggestions of a row and said: ‘That was earlier, on Friday, before the race.
‘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’.’
Verstappen snr carved out a F1 career between 1994 and 2003 gaining two podium places before later switching to rally driving.
He told MailOnline: ‘There are less problems in rallying than in Formula 1, there are not so many controversies, it’s more enjoyable.’
Verstappen snr was happy to be pictured and signed autographs for the crowd at the Hannut Rally where he arrived in a VW Golf.
His team of three mechanics busied themselves around his car while he relaxed in a team trailer home parked nearby.
Sponsored by Red Bull and a private jet company, Verstappen snr appeared in a different league to the other teams competing in terms of equipment and back up.
He will be taking part in a rally this weekend and next in Belgium before jetting out to Melbourne for the Australian GP on March 24 joining son Max on a private jet for the journey.
Controversy erupted last month at Red Bull when details of the woman’s claim emerged, and the Austrian based team launched an inquiry with an independent KC.
Team principal Horner was cleared but then. 24 hours later the scandal gained fresh impetus after the texts were leaked in an anonymous email to F1 correspondents.
Geri – formerly Ginger Spice – was said to have been left in tears when the scandal broke but stood by her husband and held hands with him at the Bahrain GP last week.
Last week Verstappen snr pointedly left Horner off the guest list for his 52nd birthday party which was held at a luxury Dubai hotel with Max there and senior figures from red Bull including racing director Helmut Marko.
Verstappen snr has reportedly been friends with the woman for several years and they were even said to have been pictured together on a yacht in Abu Dhabi in November 2021 after Red Bull’s victory there.
In his pre race press conference Max defended his dad over Horner and said:’ He’s not a liar,’ raising the tension between the two men even further.
Max said:’ I think from how I know him of course, from when I was already in go karting, he’s always very outspoken. He’s not a liar, that’s for sure. My dad and I are very close. We call every day.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
