Jos Verstappen has spoken for the first time since a female Red Bull employee was suspended in the Christian Horner Red Bull saga – and gave her his support.
Formula 1 boss Horner, 50, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, 51, was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ towards the unidentified woman last month but was subsequently cleared in an investigation.
The university graduate is a colleague of the Red Bull team boss and after he was acquitted, she was suspended earlier this week with full pay due to the investigation.
Officials claimed this was because she had been ‘dishonest’, but sources have expressed shock, claiming she has been sidelined while Horner has kept his £8million-a-year job.
But the woman has now received the support of former Grand Prix ace Verstappen snr, 52, who is the father of current world champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s main driver.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline while taking part in the Hannut Rally in Belgium, he said: ‘I sympathize with the woman, with everything she has been through, but we will see what happens.’
Jos Verstappen (photo) has spoken for the first time since a female Red Bull employee was suspended in the Christian Horner Red Bull saga
Christian Horner, 50, (pictured) was charged last month with ‘inappropriate conduct’ towards the unidentified woman
The woman has received the support of former Grand Prix ace Verstappen snr, 52, the father of current world champion Max Verstappen (left, pictured with Horner)
Horner talks to Jos Verstappen ahead of training ahead of the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on February 29
Horner is married to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell (pictured), who has shown public support for her husband
The woman was suspended after reports of the embarrassing text messages between the woman and Horner were leaked.
When asked whether it was time to ‘draw a line’ on the situation, as Horner said at his press conference in Saudi Arabia ahead of this weekend’s race, Verstappen snr was dismissive.
He said: ‘I think it’s a bit too late for that now. If that’s what he wants, fine, but I don’t think it will be possible. I don’t want to talk too much anymore because it will cause problems.
‘But the most important thing for me is that Max is happy, that’s what matters to me, I just want him to be happy.’
Rumors are circulating on the F1 circuit that it was Verstappen snr who leaked incriminating texts between the woman and Horner last month.
And there have even been suggestions that he is involved with her, but he has denied any involvement.
When asked again about her fate, Verstappen snr – who drove a Skoda in the rally – said: ‘Red Bull seems to know what they are doing with her, we will see. But I think it’s up to her to come out and see what happens.
“I’m not fully aware of what’s happening to her.”
He added: “But all these things that are happening are affecting Max.
‘He came third in the first training and all we hear about is Horner and what happened with his situation.
‘During the press conference that Horner recently gave, it was all about him and his problems, when really we should have been talking about Max, the car, his performance and the race.
“I already said I think there will be problems if he stays.”
Verstappen snr added: ‘I think it’s too late for Christian to say ‘leave me alone’, but he has the support of the Thai owner so I think he will stay for the rest of the season.
‘I said it would be bad if he stayed. It’s really not good for the team, this whole situation.”
The woman was suspended after reports of the embarrassing text messages between the woman and Horner were leaked
Verstappen snr, 52, is the father of current world champion Max Verstappen (pictured)
Christian Horner talks to Max Verstappen ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia
Christian Horner smiles in the pits during qualifying for the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia
After last weekend’s race in Bahrain, Verstappen snr and Horner were pictured talking animatedly in a caravan.
But Verstappen snr laughed off all the suggestions one after the other and said: ‘That was earlier, on Friday, before the race.
“He said to me, ‘Do you trust me?’ I’ll do anything for your son’ and we talked with our hands, we didn’t argue.
“But on Friday we had a fight in the office and I walked outside, but in the caravan he came up to me and said, ‘Congratulations, good race’.”
Verstappen snr built an F1 career between 1994 and 2003 and achieved two podium finishes before later switching to rally driving.
He told MailOnline: ‘There are fewer problems in rallying than in Formula 1, there aren’t as many controversies, it’s more fun.’
Verstappen snr was happy to have his picture taken and sign autographs for the crowd at the Hannut Rally, where he arrived in a VW Golf.
His team of three mechanics were busy working around his car while he relaxed in a nearby team trailer.
Sponsored by Red Bull and a private jet company, Verstappen snr appeared in a different league to the other teams competing in terms of equipment and backup.
He will take part in a rally in Belgium this weekend and next before heading to Melbourne for the Australian GP on March 24, joining son Max in a private jet for the trip.
The controversy erupted at Red Bull last month when details of the woman’s claim emerged, and the Austria-based team launched an investigation with an independent QC.
However, team boss Horner was acquitted. 24 hours later the scandal gained new impetus after the texts were leaked in an anonymous email to F1 correspondents.
Geri – formerly Ginger Spice – is said to have been left in tears when the scandal broke, but stood next to her husband and held him during the Bahrain GP last week.
Jos Verstappen made history by winning two world championships at the age of 25
Rumors are circulating on the F1 circuit that it was Verstappen snr who leaked incriminating texts between the woman and Horner last month
Last week, Verstappen snr emphatically left Horner off the guest list for his 52nd birthday party
Last week, Verstappen snr pointedly left Horner off the guest list for his 52nd birthday party, which was held at a luxury hotel in Dubai with Max there and Red Bull seniors including race director Helmut Marko.
Verstappen snr has reportedly been friends with the woman for several years and they were even photographed together on a yacht in Abu Dhabi in November 2021 after Red Bull’s victory there.
During his pre-race press conference, Max defended his father to Horner, saying, “He’s not a liar,” further heightening the tension between the two men.
Max said: ‘I think because of how I know him of course, from when I was already karting, he is always very open. He’s not a liar, that’s for sure. My father and I are very close. We call every day.’