F1 Rumor: Christian Horner Attempted to Acquire Red Bull F1 Amid Power Struggle

Christian Horner has been in the middle of one of the biggest controversies in Formula One. The team principal was accused of inappropriate behavior and things spiraled down the rabbit hole from then. An anonymous leak of Horner’s private conversations has brought the 50-year-old under the spotlight and yet again it’s not for the right reasons. This time Max Verstappen has started to move away from the team principal with rumors of him joining Mercedes.

Back in October 2022, Dietrich Mateschitz the owner of Red Bull passed away. Last year, the rumors of disputes within the team started surfacing and the leaks state that Christian Horner has been trying to take more power in the team. To take things a step forward, the team principal expressed his desire to have Helmut Marko leave the team after Mateschitz’s passing. But the situation didn’t go according to Horner as Max Verstappen stood up for the team director.

Ultimately, Horner could not get rid of Helmut Marko as Max Verstappen has an exit clause in this contract that says he can leave the team if Marko does the same. With the team principal getting to keep his place, tensions are rising in the Red Bull garage. Jos Verstappen, Max’s father is unhappy with the state of Red Bull racing and he was also seen talking to Toto Wolff about what could presumably be a contract for his son. This brings up the question of what will happen to Red Bull if Max Verstappen leaves.

Red Bull without Max Verstappen

Letting go of the 3-time world champion would be a devastating blow to Red Bull racing team as the star driver is the reason they are currently undefeatable. The tension is rising at Red Bull with many of the team members unhappy with Christian Horner and if Max Verstappen leaves the team, there won’t be much left in the team. After this season, Sergio Perez will be released from his contract and the team might be left with no drivers.

This will heavily impact the sponsors of the team along with being able to find new members for the team. Along with Max Verstappen, there are rumors of Adrain Newey leaving Red Bull too. Although the Dutch driver’s contract extends till 2028, the exit clause can have him leave the team with Marko. Horner replied to this situation saying that the team would do just fine without them, but truth be told, it looks like Red Bull is on a downward spiral and needs a good recovery soon.

The dynamic at Red Bull is shifting and this might make the team unattractive for drivers to get into. This move seems like a self-sabotage if things are not handled properly and a possible statement from parent company Red Bull GmbH might be underway. With tensions at an all-time high within the team, do you think that Verstappen could leave the team for Mercedes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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