The feud between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner could be even worse than initially thought.
Footage has emerged from Sky Sports Italy of Jos — the father of Red Bull Racing Formula 1 star Max Verstappen — and Horner having a heated exchange at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday.
Horner is embroiled in a sexting scandal that has threatened the CEO’s role on the most powerful team in the sport.
The 50-year-old, who is married to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is alleged to have sent a series of salacious texts to a female employee.
The WhatsApp messages were leaked to prominent figures in the sport on Thursday just hours after Red Bull cleared Horner of any wrongdoing.
The scandal left Jos, a former Formula 1 driver, fuming as threats surfaced of Max trying to leave Team Red Bull.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart,” Jos, a former Formula 1 driver, told the Daily Mail.
“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.”
Jos, according to The Telegraph, also told friends that Max will leave the Formula 1 team if Horner remains in power.
Jos was asked by the Daily Mail if he was the one who leaked the exchanges, which came from an anonymous email account.
“That wouldn’t make sense,” Jos, 51, said. “Why would I do that when Max is doing so well here?”
The Dutch racer has won the past three Formula 1 championships, establishing himself as the most dominant driver in the sport after Lewis Hamilton had dominated for years.
Despite the drama engulfing the team and the sport, Horner appeared at Saturday’s race with Halliwell and at least publicly displayed a strong front.
“Yes absolutely. We are a very strong team,” Horner told Sky Sports on Saturday. “We have got tremendous support, tremendous partners and great shareholders behind us as well.”
Verstappen won the race in Bahrain with Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finishing second.
“Obviously, it’s not been pleasant, some of the unwanted attention, but the focus is now very much on the cars,” Horner said. “My focus has very much been on what’s going on on track and the result today, I think, demonstrates where the whole team’s focus is and we move onwards.”