Former F1 star hints that Horner situation led to Red Bull 'mistakes' in Australia

Former Formula 1 driver turned pundit Giedo Van der Garde has suggested that there could be a deeper cause of Max Verstappen's DNF at the Australian Grand Prix.

The three-time world champion had to retire from the race due to a mechanical failure with the right rear brake, an issue which caused a dramatic explosion as the Dutchman entered the pits.

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It was the first time since the same race two years prior that Verstappen had failed to finish a race, a phenomenal statistic that emphasises quite how dominant both team and driver have been in the sport in the last two seasons.

Carlos Sainz's victory in Melbourne put an end to Red Bull's 100 per cent win record in 2024, and the team's performances on-track have not been affected by the speculation off-track up until now.

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Verstappen DNF blame placed on media speculation

Said speculation refers to the internal investigation which was launched into team principal Christian Horner's conduct, after the 50-year-old was accused of alleged 'inappropriate behaviour'.

Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing, and has maintained his role within the team throughout, but speculation surrounding the futures of other key figures has been rife.

Now, former Dutch racing driver Van der Garde has said that the media furore around the team may have led to them becoming more susceptible to failures on track.

“It is certainly strange that this happened at Red Bull,” he told the DRS podcast.

“I'm not saying it's sabotage, certainly not. But if there is internal mess in such a team, people can make mistakes.

“We haven't seen that for two years. It was such a well-oiled machine. Everything went so perfectly.”

READ MORE: Verstappen told rival team would be a 'very good alternative' amid Red Bull exit links

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