Christian Horner has managed to maintain the favor of the Thai owners of Red Bull, despite scandals surrounding his inappropriate conduct. Recent attention to Horner’s behavior has caused turmoil in the automotive community. Allegations of misconduct by a Red Bull employee were investigated and ultimately cleared, but this caused tension within the Milton Keynes team.
Horner’s relationship with Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, also suffered as a result of the investigation. There were even rumors that the late Dietrich Mateschitz’s son wanted to remove Horner from his position with the help of external forces. However, as tensions have eased in recent days, Red Bull GmbH organized a high-level meeting in Dubai.
According to Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS), this meeting only solidified Horner’s position within the company. The majority Thai shareholder, Chalerm Yoovidhya, is said to fully support Horner’s plans to take full control of Red Bull, including its motorsport division. However, this support may be withdrawn if Horner is found guilty in a civil court. Previously, there were concerns that Yoovidhya was unhappy with the reaction of American activists to Horner’s scandal.
There were also rumors that Verstappen would leave Red Bull if Horner remained in power. However, the three-time world champion put an end to these speculations by affirming his commitment to the team. However, the outcome of the meeting in Dubai could potentially change Verstappen’s decision.
El empresario de Verstappen, Raymond Vermeulen, supuestamente estuvo presente en la reunión en Dubai y tuvo discusiones con Yoovidhya. La naturaleza exacta de esas discusiones es desconocida, pero, según la AMuS, es claro que Verstappen dejará la Red Bull si Horner continúa ocupando su cargo como Jefe de Equipo.
Además, el Director Ejecutivo y el CEO de Red Bull están preocupados por sus propias posiciones dentro de la empresa. Hay rumores de que Red Bull Holdings podría ser potencialmente transferida a Dubai.
Red Bull se encuentra en otra situación tumultuosa. A pesar de las recientes controversias, el fuerte apoyo de Horner desde el lado tailandés le ha dado más influencia. Sin embargo, no se ha hecho ninguna declaración oficial al público y queda por ver cómo se desarrollará la situación para el equipo de Milton Keynes en las próximas semanas.
