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Verstappen comments on Red Bull's controversy: 'It was no fun for anyone'
- Sandy van Wijngaarden
Christian Horner was a major talking point at the start of 2024, due to several factors. It was a tough time for the team, and Max Verstappen shared his experience of this turbulent period, explaining how he took action to help get Red Bull back on track. The year started with an investigation into Christian Horner over allegations of cross-border behaviour, though he was later cleared. Additionally, the relationship between Horner and Jos Verstappen was strained, with Max Verstappen caught in the middle of the tension
Verstappen kept the focus on improving the car
In the Viaplay documentary Lion Unleashed, Verstappen looked back on the difficult period. "Well, I think in general, for everyone in the team, it was not nice. But on the other hand, we are there for the performance side of things. That's what I get paid for as well. And you have to, you know, try and just put your mind to that."
The team's focus had to be on the start of the new season, instead. "We had a car that we wanted to work on and make better, and we wanted to, of course, arrive there and win the races."
The turmoil did keep Verstappen busy, but he was also able to shrug it off, as he explained. "Of course, it's there in the back of your mind. On the other hand, it's very important to just shift your focus to the engineers and work with them to try and be successful on track."
Jos Verstappen, his father, is immensely proud of how his son was able to pull the whole team together. "I think he was very professional in that he didn't go into details or whatever. And he stood by the team, he stood by me, he stood by me and with everything, so he kept them all together and I think he handled it really professionally."
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
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