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Despite a strong start to the season, Red Bull F1 is tearing itself apart at the seams
The 2024 Formula 1 season has gotten off to an incredible start for Red Bull.
On the track that is.
Max Verstappen drove away from the field in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, capturing pole position on Friday and then not just winning the race, but also securing the fastest lap to give him the weekend sweep. With teammate Sergio Pérez finishing behind him in P2, Red Bull locked out the front row in Bahrain for the second-straight season, getting their title defense off to a rousing start.
Again, all of that is on the track.
Off the track, however, is a much different story. With rumors swirling around Team Principal Christian Horner and different parties waging a battle through the media, the internal turmoil at Red Bull gives the impression that F1’s dominant team is on the verge of being torn apart.
Just what is happening at Red Bull?
The recent turmoil starts with an investigation into allegations of “inappropriate behavior” by Horner himself. At the start of February, reports surfaced that Horner was facing an internal investigation into alleged “inappropriate behavior” by Red Bull Racing’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH. The team’s parent company released a brief statement that read:
“After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation. This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible.
“It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Then on Feb. 9, Horner met with the outside counsel who were retained by Red Bull GmbH to conduct the investigation, a meeting which took approximately nine hours.
Horner denied the accusations and attended the team’s launch event for the RB20 on February 15. At that time, the Team Principal continued to deny the allegations. “I’m going through a process and fully respect it. For me, it is business as normal and I’m focused on the season ahead,” he said at the time. “Of course, it is a distraction for the team but the team are very together.”
As the investigation lingered without resolution, concerned parties turned up the heat. Formula One Management (FOM), the sport’s commercial rights holders, were first out of the gate on February 18 with a brief statement, hoping for a fair but swift resolution to the matter. “We hope that the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity, after a fair and thorough process, and we will not comment further at this time.”
Then came some thunder from Ford. The manufacturer — set to partner with Red Bull on power units for the 2026 season — expressed their own frustrations on Feb. 26. In a letter to the team from CEO Jim Farley, the Ford boss noted the company is “increasingly frustrated by the lack of resolution or clear indication from you about when you anticipate a fair and just resolution of this matter.”
The prompt may have worked. Two days later, on Feb. 28, Red Bull GmbH released a statement, dismissing the charges against Horner:
“The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.
“The complainant has a right of appeal.
“Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial.
“The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards.”
It is worth noting here that the language matters. Many have stated that the investigation “cleared” Horner of wrongdoing, but note the careful language from Red Bull GmbH. The statement from Red Bull Racing’s parent company only notes that the “grievance [against Horner] has been dismissed,” not that the team boss was cleared of any wrongdoing. Was the complaint dismissed because Horner did nothing wrong, or because the conduct did not rise to a level requiring his dismissal? Those questions remain largely unanswered, and have led to calls for increased transparency from many within the paddock, including a few Team Principals
The following day Horner was back in Bahrain ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. He spoke to the media briefly regarding the investigation. “I obviously can’t comment about it,” Horner told Sky Sports News. “[I’m] here and very much focused now on the grand prix, the season ahead and trying to defend both of our titles. I can’t give you any further comment, the process has been conducted and concluded. I’m pleased to be here in Bahrain and focused on the season ahead.
“Within the team it’s [unity has] never been stronger.”
However, that very same day members of the F1 world — from media members to team principals to even FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali — were e-mailed a Google Drive link that purported to contain documents related to the investigation. While SB Nation was not included in the communication, various outlets that were included noted that the Google Drive documents allegedly showed conversations between Horner and the complainant involved in the initial investigation. The authenticity of the documents, including screenshots of WhatsApp conversations, has not been independently verified by media outlets that have been able to view them.
March 1 brought the first qualifying session of the 2024 F1 season and another denial from Horner. Speaking ahead of the third practice session of the week — and following the release of the purported investigation documents to selected members of the F1 world — Horner told the media “I am not going to comment on anonymous speculation from unknown sources.”
Friday and Saturday in Bahrain were “business as usual” for the team, as Verstappen captured pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, and then Horner helped guide the Bulls to a one-two finish in the race itself. Horner was joined in Bahrain by his wife, Geri Halliwell, and he told the media before the grand prix “[i]t’s been very testing for my family but we are very strong as a family and our focus is on this race.”
But if you thought the matter was settled, you were mistaken. Because events in recent days have only increased the temperature at Red Bull. Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver and father to Max Verstappen, blasted Horner in an interview with the Daily Mail. “There is tension here while he remains in position,” said the elder Verstappen. “The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”
Following the release of that story, reports surfaced of a tense, animated meeting between the elder Verstappen and Horner in the Red Bull paddock before the Bahrain Grand Prix. Sky Italy released a brief 19-second video of the meeting, wherein Horner can be seen gesturing numerous times during the discussion.
Perhaps the event that has increased the heat on Horner the most? The revelation in recent days that the younger Verstappen, who is signed with Red Bull through the 2028 season, has an “escape clause” in his Red Bull deal that allows him to leave if Dr. Helmut Marko, a team senior advisor and a driving force behind Red Bull signing Verstappen years ago, departs the team. Add in Marko telling the media “[a]s far as I’m concerned, I won’t stand in Max’s way [should he decide to leave],” this week, as well as reports of Jos Verstappen sitting down with Toto Wolff in Bahrain, and you have a bevy of rumors that Max Verstappen could potentially leave Red Bull and drive for Mercedes next year.
After all, with Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes for Ferrari for the 2025 campaign, Mercedes has a seat open for next season. Wolff, who admits some “regret” at being unable to sign Verstappen back in the day, would love nothing more than to lure Verstappen to the Brackley-based outlet. Wolff downplayed the meeting, noting that he and Jos Verstappen have known each other for over two decades, but when pressed on the rumors of Max to Mercedes added “[e]verything is possible.”
These recent developments led to Horner meeting with Verstappen’s representatives in Dubai on Monday, hoping to ease the tensions within the team.
It … is a lot.
Again, on the track, the season has gotten off to a near-perfect start for Red Bull. The team, and Verstappen, picked up right where they left off after a dominant 2023 campaign, and the rest of the field is fighting for the points behind him.
Behind the scenes, however, the situation is anything but perfect. The swirling rumors and battle of wills playing out in the paddock have created what some describe as a “Civil War” within the team. And the prospects of a shock Verstappen move to Mercedes certainly seems like a chip that could sway the outcome of that struggle.
After all, everything is possible.
