F1 pundit suggests Max Verstappen DNF linked with Christian Horner Red Bull chaos

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 pundit suggests Verstappen DNF linked with Horner Red Bull chaos

The team have been the subject of much speculation recently

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 27 March 2024 21:12

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Former Formula 1 driver turned pundit Giedo Van der Garde has suggested that there could be a deeper cause to 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 his 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 failed to finish a race, a phenomenal statistic that emphasises quite how dominant both team and driver have been in the sport over 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 had been faultless until their disastrous Australian GP weekend.

Max Verstappen won the first two races of 2024

Max Verstappen suffered a DNF in Australia

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.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Carlos Sainz Australian Grand Prix