Former F1 driver claims Christian Horner "will damage Red Bull and thus ensure Max Verstappen leaves"

Former F1 driver turned pundit Ralf Schumacher blamed Red Bull team principal Christian Horner for damaging the team to an extent that could drive Max Verstappen away.

Christian Horner was recently accused of inappropriate behavior by a female team employee. Red Bull initiated an internal investigation into the case and eventually cleared the team principal of all allegations.

However, the situation worsened after an anonymous email leaked alleged conversations between him and the female employee to many notable F1 journalists. The team's public image has taken a hit since it is currently knee-deep in controversies.

Speaking to the German wing of Sky Sports, Ralf Schumacher blamed Horner for destroying Red Bull. He also felt Max Verstappen could leave if the team continued to be surrounded by controversies.

"The current state of affairs is that the best team of the last decade, a position it shares with Mercedes, is destroying itself from within...If Horner continues to cling to his position with everything he has, he will damage Red Bull and thus ensure that Max Verstappen leaves the team," he said.

After the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP, Max Verstappen's father Jos Verstappen had a meeting with Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff. Following the meeting, multiple reports emerged claiming the Dutch driver could be a potential Lewis Hamilton replacement at Mercedes.

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Max Verstappen's father blames Christian Horner for ruining Red Bull

Amid Red Bull team boss Christian Horner's investigation controversy, Jos Verstappen publicly criticized the former for causing issues in the team. Jos warned that the Austrian-British outfit could tear apart if Horner remains team principal. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said:

"There is tension here while [Horner] remains in position. 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."

As of now, Christian Horner remains team principal at Red Bull and will continue to attend races with the team in the 2024 F1 season. It was recently reported that Jos Verstappen would not be attending the Saudi Arabian GP, following his comments about Horner.