Bosses in Saudi Arabia

“Bulls” summit meeting: Will the powder keg explode?

At the summit in Jeddah (from left to right): Mintzlaff, Horner and Yoovidhya

(Bild: GEPA Pictures, APA/AFP)

Red Bull bosses Christian Horner, Oliver Mintzlaff and Chalerm Yoovidhya come together in Saudi Arabia for a summit meeting. The hot question: Will the powder keg in the desert really explode?

The never-ending (tiresome) story surrounding Red Bull team boss Christian Horner enters the next high-profile round this weekend in Jeddah. Both the Thai majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya, who is considered a supporter of Horner and was already at the track in Bahrain, and CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, who is rather skeptical of the 50-year-old Briton, will meet in the Kingdom. Motorsport boss Dr. Helmut Marko, who does not give interviews, will probably also be there, with only world champion dad Jos Verstappen, who is rallying in Belgium, absent.

The hot question: Will the powder keg in the desert really explode?

The first bombshell came on Thursday: as leaked in the paddock, the employee who had accused Horner of "inappropriate behavior" was relieved of her duties and had to hand in her laptop so as not to have access to internal data.

"Getting back to the basics"
At the press conference, Horner was evasive: "I cannot comment on confidential issues between an employee and the company." Regarding the situation within the team, Horner, who also spoke of a very difficult time for his family, said: "I am aware of everything that was said after Bahrain. There was a discussion after the race (also with Jos Verstappen) and I think everyone is very focused on the future. The whole team is focused on the challenges ahead. A complaint was lodged, which was fully investigated and rejected. Now we have to get back to basics."

And what does Horner think about the future of Max Verstappen? "I am convinced that he will honor his contract with Red Bull." Let's wait and see what else the management summit will bring today ...