Jos Verstappen takes aim at Horner over ‘STUPID’ Red Bull team-mate suggestion

Jos Verstappen, father of reigning Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen, has expressed his frustration with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner following comments made in the aftermath of the Singapore Grand Prix.

In a fiery social media post, the elder Verstappen sharply criticised Horner’s praise of simulator driver Sébastien Buemi.

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Max Verstappen delivered a strong second-place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix, holding off the Ferraris and Oscar Piastri's faster McLaren despite Red Bull’s struggles with their setup earlier in the weekend.

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The turnaround, according to Horner, was significantly aided by the efforts of Buemi, who worked through the night on Red Bull’s simulator.

"Sébastien Buemi was essential in helping us turn things around," the Red Bull chief told the media in Singapore.

"He was consuming plenty of Red Bull to keep him going. The whole team worked long days and nights, and Buemi played a key role in achieving that result."

However, Jos Verstappen was unimpressed with Horner’s statement, especially regarding the simulator's impact on Max's performance. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), he bluntly responded: "Stop with that stupid nonsense," before swiftly deleting the post.

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Red Bull's internal feud: Horner vs Verstappen

While Horner intended to highlight the collective efforts of Red Bull’s team, Jos Verstappen’s scathing remarks have reignited long-standing tensions between him and the team principal.

The former F1 driver has been in a public feud with Horner throughout 2024, accusing him of fostering division within Red Bull.

Jos previously blamed the 50-year-old for creating an atmosphere of tension in the team and has been outspoken about his dissatisfaction with Horner's leadership.

The discord escalated earlier this year after accusations were made against Horner by a Red Bull staff member, alleging inappropriate behaviour—a claim Horner consistently denied.

Following an independent investigation, he was cleared of any wrongdoing, but the episode further strained relations within the team.

As a result, Jos Verstappen has chosen to distance himself from many of the races this season, a noticeable absence from the paddock where he would usually support his son, Max.

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