Jos Verstappen is seeking "peace" and "calm" to be reinstated in the background at Red Bull, as his son Max is overwhelmed with inquiries about Christian Horner's contentious leadership battle at each Grand Prix.
The continuing narrative of a clear leadership contest and Horner's questionable behaviour with a currently suspended female employee persists.
The latest news is that the women has filed a grievance with the FIA through the Formula 1 regulatory body's ethics committee.
"Red Bull Racing said it had no knowledge of the complaint and would not comment further," according to a report by the prominent German newspaper Bild.
Furthermore, last week, it came to light that the woman has contested the conclusions of Red Bull's internal review, which had previously exonerated Horner from any misconduct.
"A timetable for her appeal process is being drawn up," mentioned a source.
Regarding the new grievance lodged with the FIA, an official from the Paris-based organization stated that the ethics committee would operate independently and confidentially.
"As a result, we are unable to confirm receipt of the complaint or make comment," said the official as reported by international news outlets.
Additional reports indicate that Red Bull's warring groups, featuring Horner, Dr Helmut Marko, and the Verstappens, are arranging a public "ceasefire" concerning the scandal ahead of the upcoming Australian GP.
While participating in a rally in Belgium - which he triumphed in - over the weekend, Max Verstappen's father Jos acknowledged that a "power struggle" is in progress at Red Bull.
"That's part of it," he was cited by the Belgian news agency Sporza, "but it is also necessary that there is peace in the team now. It's necessary to get some calm again, but given the circumstances, it will take a while, I think.
"I can't say much about it," Verstappen senior stated. "Hopefully they can concentrate on racing again soon, because that's what it's all about. And it's important that Max continues to win.
"The car is running very well and between the engineers and him there is nothing wrong. For the most part, Max can switch off, but he gets a lot of questions about it," Jos emphasized.
"He doesn't like that, but it is also part of Formula 1."
Leo Turrini, a well-regarded Italian journalist, believes the whole saga extends beyond Horner's conduct or an arbitrary struggle for power.
"Maybe Verstappen senior and Marko are right in doubting that the empire can survive without Porsche from 2026," he expressed in his Quotidiano column.
"They're not arguing about 'metoo', they're fighting each other because the future is at stake. And they could all lose.
"Max has a clause to get out of the contract, and Mercedes would take him straight away. At Aston Martin they would cover him with gold," Turrini humorously remarked.
"But what are Max's intentions? Give up the 2025 title to prepare for a new era?" body check tags ::
