Verstappen: I know my dad is very outspoken and he is not a liar

Jos Verstappen, 52, has taken a stance against Red Bull boss Christian Horner and said at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix last week that the dominant team risked being torn apart if the Briton stayed in charge.

The comments came after an investigation by an independent barrister cleared Horner of allegations of misconduct made by a female employee. Verstappen senior's comments triggered fears that Verstappen, the star driver, could look elsewhere for the 2025 season.

Former champions Mercedes have a vacancy with seven times F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton signing for Ferrari in 2025, a move that took many by surprise.

Spaking to reporters in Jeddah, Verstappen referenced the move that shook F1: “The thing is nobody would have ever seen that Lewis would move to Ferrari. That’s not related to F1, it’s just general life. You never know what happens around you or what might influence you.

"You can never say 100% what is going to be. But I also don’t think about it too much. I’m very relaxed. I’m very happy with the team, the performance is there, there is no reason to leave," insisted Verstappen who, this weekend, will be seeking to make up for his defeat by RBR teammate Sergio Perez last year at the Saudi Arabian GP.

"I'm just focusing on the driving bit and I think that is also the most important for the team right now," Verstappen told reporters in Jeddah ahead of Saturday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when asked if he agreed with his father.

"That's also why we came here and that's our main target and what we want to focus on you know, to not have this stuff going on race after race because that is not good for the team," reckoned Verstappen.

Asked if he could see any circumstances where he might not be racing for Red Bull next year, the Dutch ace replied: "Things must go really crazy, I guess, but that's not the target for everyone."

Red Bull won 21 of 22 races last season with the most dominant car in the sport's history. Verstappen, who won 19 of them, started the latest campaign with a 'grand slam' win of pole position, fastest lap and every lap led.

The triple F1 world champion said his father, a former F1 racer who was once a teammate of seven times world champion Michael Schumacher, was not a liar and he had not asked him whether he regretted making the explosive comments.

"My dad, from how I know him in go-karting, is very outspoken and he is not a liar, that is for sure. My dad and I are very close. We call every day," revealed 26-year-old Verstappen whose father Jos is not scheduled to be in Saudi Arabia this weekend.

Several reports in various media reported this week that Jos was seen in a long meeting with Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff, prompting speculation that Max could be heading there to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.