[M3WC]

Max can flex all he wants, but RB holds all the leverage. Half the grid could win a championship in that seat.

The irony of Marko is possibly the one that ends up getting let go or suspended. Rumor he is the one who leaked the messages.

Quite obvious now Horner and Thai owner are in charge.

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by MontyB1

Well this story goes on, and on….

Verstappen clear, without Marks I won’t continue at Red Bull.

Seems Max is pretty clear that they better not let him go, seems however from various stories that Helmut has said he might just go anyway. I mean at 80 who needs the crap that Horner seems to be adding to the team at the moment.

Even if Marko decides to just retire, rather than deal with the investigation. He will surely sit down with Max let him know it was his own decision to leave. He won't let Max destroy his legacy over it.

This is just Max showing his loyalty, I have no doubts Max would never leave that seat.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by M3WC

Max can flex all he wants, but RB holds all the leverage. Half the grid could win a championship in that seat.

The irony of Marko is possibly the one that ends up getting let go or suspended. Rumor he is the one who leaked the messages.

Quite obvious now Horner and Thai owner are in charge.

so Marko's the mole?

[G30M]

Originally Posted by MontyB1

Well this story goes on, and on….

Verstappen clear, without Marks I won’t continue at Red Bull.

Seems Max is pretty clear that they better not let him go, seems however from various stories that Helmut has said he might just go anyway. I mean at 80 who needs the crap that Horner seems to be adding to the team at the moment.

didn't Max already change his mind? earlier he confirmed his dad's word saying Max won't stay if Horner stays, then Max said he'll stay

so he's probably going to stay.

but driving a Merc will be more interesting for everyone else, but will he do that or continue to drive a sure winner and $$$ to brand Verstappen

i know what I'd do

[lens]

Originally Posted by MontyB1

Well this story goes on, and on….

Verstappen clear, without Marks I won’t continue at Red Bull.

Seems Max is pretty clear that they better not let him go, seems however from various stories that Helmut has said he might just go anyway. I mean at 80 who needs the crap that Horner seems to be adding to the team at the moment.

Eh, I have no problem with Marko, but plenty with Jos, and unfortunately, Marko comes with Jos.

Originally Posted by M3WC

Leave for who?

The Merc just showed to be 5th fastest car on grid in Jeddah.

Probably retire and go race WEC

[G30M]

Originally Posted by lens

Nah

He said he would leave if Marko got fired or left.

he's already changed his mind he said (well i think his dad said, and Max said his dad is not a liar) he'd leave if Horner stays, now Horner is staying and Max is suddenly happy to stay

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M3WC

Max can flex all he wants, but RB holds all the leverage. Half the grid could win a championship in that seat.

The irony of Marko is possibly the one that ends up getting let go or suspended. Rumor he is the one who leaked the messages.

Quite obvious now Horner and Thai owner are in charge.

The Red Bull Soap [Episode 3]

[NickyC]

No way Max quits over this.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by g21

didn't Max already change his mind? earlier he confirmed his dad's word saying Max won't stay if Horner stays, then Max said he'll stay

so he's probably going to stay.

but driving a Merc will be more interesting for everyone else, but will he do that or continue to drive a sure winner and $$$ to brand Verstappen

i know what I'd do

I have a hard time seeing him leave a car he is in perfect harmony with. That's not to say he can't win in any other car because I have a feeling he would be able to win in the Ferrari too but would certainly love to him lock up WDC 4 and 5 (in a row nonetheless) which would make him only the second driver to do that (Sch was the first). I think at that point he may look to move but RB has all the old MB engine engineers so I think they'll have a promising 2026 and beyond meaning he could win a few more then. I truly hope he stays and does win 7, 8, 9 WDCs so he can be the undisputed best ever all while knowing he did it without 80-100 more hp than anyone else, secret tire tests, and all while in the most competitive eras F1 has ever had.

[TheBingoBalls]

What a mess and a joke at the same time. I don't think Max would leave a car like the RB20 and every iteration leading up to the new regulations - it's not often where you get to be a driver in a generational car.

But it will be hard to ignore that the team is somewhat fractured in all aspects and it will be interesting to see how they all get past it.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Personally I already witnessed very bright minds in top level jobs jeopardizing and even ruining their careers and relationships because of sex. They simply couldn't resist the urge and the kick of it, losing their minds. Clear warnings that it was a recipe for disaster, were to no avail.

Hard-coded inside the reptilian brain, I guess ?

Not to mention that being her manager in a large organization, he undoubtedly underwent training specifically advising him not to have a relationship with a subordinate and the potential consequences of doing so.

[Marcoose]

Originally Posted by g21

i'm not sure what you guys are on about one person. people have relations all the time. Max (apparently, according to Danny) took Danny Kvyat's seat, girlfriend, and daughter from right under Danny's nose. nobody made a big deal out of it, danny compained, and guess what nobody cared, nobody cares. I guess Christian Horner is like Novak Djokovic, GOAT but nobody likes him and will find every chance to mock him.

i'm no CH fan either but he's no different from the rest of the paddock or his accusers as far as I'm concerned.

Verstappen isn’t Kvyiat’s (sp?) boss. Massive difference.

[toxik]

seems so much of this internal RBR drama is artificially inflated. the team is too good, and the season is shaping up to be a continuation of last season… it’s like without this drama and speculation, there would be not much other excitement for fans to talk about. all my F1 friends are only talking about funny revelations regarding this Horner thing, and alpine being horrible. not much else.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Marcoose

Verstappen isn’t Kvyiat’s (sp?) boss. Massive difference.

As Marcoose correctly pointed out, Horner was/is the boss of the suspended RBR employee. She was his personal assistant. Horner is married - she's not.

g21, imagine your boss repeatedly behaving in a way that you perceive as disturbing/inappropriate (regardless whether others think likewise). You give repeated signs to your boss that you dislike that behavior and that it should stop or change. Your boss ignores most or all of your signs (maybe your boss considers not doing anything disturbing/inappropriate at all or maybe the boss's mind got substantially clouded because, unfortunately for you, you have become his/her love interest). You experience the situation (involving booty calls, racy selfies, complementing your private parts and the like) as toxic and feel terrible because of the hierarchy situation (you want to keep your job).

Tell us what you'd do.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by M3WC

Even if Marko decides to just retire, rather than deal with the investigation. He will surely sit down with Max let him know it was his own decision to leave. He won't let Max destroy his legacy over it.

This is just Max showing his loyalty, I have no doubts Max would never leave that seat.

Helmut Marko:

[Sneaky Pete]

Max is not leaving Red Bull...with the fastest car and a mediocre team mate he is a shoe in for another championship.
In any other car with a decent team mate he isn't winning anything.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Sneaky Pete

Max is not leaving Red Bull...with the fastest car and a mediocre team mate he is a shoe in for another championship.
In any other car with a decent team mate he isn't winning anything.

Look from a long-term perspective. History could be repeated. This time featuring Toto Wolff convincing Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull Racing for Mercedes-AMG in similar circumstances as those when Niki Lauda convinced Lewis Hamilton to leave McLaren last decade.

Check what Niki Lauda said and think long-term: 2026 engine changes, when Honda no longer supplies the engine for Red Bull Racing + Mercedes possibly having successfully developed a new stellar 'rocket' engine by then, crushing the competition.

08:50 - 11:41

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Tell us what you'd do.

whoever brought this up with the PA should stand up for her, show their faces, name the offenses, back her publicly, and support her in sueing him in court, like Heard vs Depp

then we all know the truth

instead they threw her under the bus after humiliating her and i still don't know the truth

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Sneaky Pete

Max is not leaving Red Bull...

darn, i really wanted to see Merc vs RB 2.0

[M5Rick]

She's on full pay apparently and it's Hobsons choice what happens now, if her lawyer continues to be funded by whoever. I would have thought that if you grow disenchanted with the boss/firm then you hand your notice and leave but PA's jobs can be scarce. Could be she was disappointed with her renumeration and asked for more...the rest is history.

[MontyB1]

And the next stage of the crumbling saga.

Jos Verstappen has once again spoken out again regarding the ongoing situation at Red Bull:

“I sympathise with the woman, with all that she went through, but we will see what happens.”

When asked if it was time to 'draw a line' under the situation, 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.

When asked again about the suspended employee’s fate Jos Verstappen 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.

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.”

He 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'.”

Via: FASTESTPITSTOP

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by g21

whoever brought this up with the PA should stand up for her, show their faces, name the offenses, back her publicly, and support her in sueing him in court, like Heard vs Depp

then we all know the truth

instead they threw her under the bus after humiliating her and i still don't know the truth

Jos "Demolition Man" Verstappen ain't backing down: in a Daily Mail interview published today he gave the suspended RBR employee his support and criticized Horner:

"Jos Verstappen gives his backing to suspended woman at centre of Red Bull text scandal - and says it is 'too late' for Christian Horner to 'draw a line under it'"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...an-Horner.html

If the suspended RBR employee, assisted by specialized lawyers, files a criminal complaint in the UK against Horner, it will be up to the competent criminal authorities to investigate this matter. Harassment is a crime and a civil wrong in the UK (see here). If a lawsuit ensues, a UK judge will judge over the matter - full impartiality by a UK court of law. With details and all.

Horner ain't a nobody - as a team principal he embodies RBR. A harassment claim filed in a UK court of law would not only hit Horner, but would also hit RBR and RB as a brand. Horner, Horner's wife, RB, RBR and sponsors wouldn't be amused with all the negative attention dragging on in the meantime.

Also news: Honda has entered the chat:

"Christian Horner faces fresh calls for transparency from Red Bull partner Honda... as they demand 'full clarity' over team boss's 'sex texts' scandal after his accuser was suspended over 'dishonesty'"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ishonesty.html