HORNER-LED SIDE WILL 'EXPLODE'

Verstappen’s father says champions Red Bull risk fracturing if their boss stays on

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Red Bull risk being torn apart as a team and will "explode" if Christian Horner stays as principal, the Daily Mail newspaper quoted the father of triple world champion Max Verstappen as saying on March 2.

Horner, 50, was cleared last week by an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct made by a female employee.

The inquiry dominated the preseason and Horner has remained in the spotlight after an e-mail from an anonymous sender, purporting to contain evidence submitted to the investigation, was distributed to media and key figures in the sport.

"There is tension here while he remains in position," former Formula One racer Jos Verstappen told the British newspaper at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where his son dominated the season-opening race on March 2.

Max has won the last three championships in a row and the victory in Sakhir was the 55th of his career, all of them with Red Bull. Teammate Sergio Perez was second, while Ferrari's Carlos Sainz rounded off the podium.

"The team is in danger of being torn apart. 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," added Jos.