Max Verstappen lashes out at critics who questioned Jos Verstappen's early year commentary against Red Bull

Max Verstappen defended his father, Jos Verstappen, against criticism over his alleged feud with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner that unfolded earlier this year. The four-time world champion said his father sees the bigger picture in every circumstance and that outside observers may not understand his perspective.

Before the beginning of the 2024 season, Red Bull Racing's team principal Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee. While the internal investigation committee cleared him of the charges, the incident reportedly left the hierarchy divided.

In the aftermath of the turmoil, Jos Verstappen apparently hit out at Red Bull, saying Christian Horner's stay as team principal was endangering the team and his son's future. Jos' reported comments irked some fans who felt that his actions weren't in his son's best interest.

Max Verstappen this week deemed the criticism towards his father as "nonsense" and said that Jos tends to look at the bigger picture. Verstappen said (via Telegraaf),

"But that is nonsense. My father sees the bigger picture very quickly. And that certain things that happen have an influence on the future of me and the team. Some people from outside may not see that" (translated from Dutch).

Later in the season, Horner reacted to Jos Verstappen's comments, saying all parties had positive discussions about the concerns. They all apparently agreed to stay focused on winning championships and figure out ways together to snap out of the troubles.

Max Verstappen, meanwhile, rose above the pressure and setbacks to seal his fourth championship in a row in 2024. However, Red Bull lagged behind McLaren and Ferrari to slip to P3 in the constructors' championship. Following the conclusion of the season, Red Bull sacked Sergio Perez and promoted Liam Lawson as Verstappen's teammate for 2025.

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Max Verstappen worried about Red Bull's trajectory

Max Verstappen (Image Source: Getty)

In the same interview with Telegraaf, Max Verstappen issued a word of caution for Red Bull Racing. He feels he won't be able to retain his championship in the next season if the energy drink-based outfit fails to improve the performance and pace of the RB challenger.

Verstappen did add that he trusted Red Bull to fix the problems and believes that RB21 will be significantly stable and easier to handle. Verstappen said,

"If we continue like this, I will not be champion next year. It is that simple. We really have to make steps to be competitive next season. We all know that. I trust that the team can fix the balance problems of last season. And certain things that we could not change last year will be changed for next year. We know that it has to be better over the kerbs, bumps, and in the slow corners. Those are generally our weak points. If we are still beaten, it will be on the basis of pure speed" (translated from Dutch).

If the 2024 season is any indication, the four-time world champion is likely to face strong competition from McLaren and Ferrari in 2025.