Christian Horner 'has badly damaged relationship with Max Verstappen's dad' as Red Bull chief refuses to quit

This is something Horner has strongly denied, with the Red Bull chief set to talk with a lawyer on Friday as part of the F1 side's investigation.

The Briton has played a key role in the team's success in recent years, with Verstappen too hot for his rivals to handle.

The 26-year-old has won the last three F1 titles, ending Lewis Hamilton's dominance of the sport in the process.

And Horner has always seemingly had a good relationship with Verstappen amid the driver's stunning rise to the top.

Now, however, Motorsport-total say Horner's personal relationship with the 26-year-old's father, Jos, is 'badly damaged'.

It's said there are whispers behind the scenes that Verstappen himself, for his part, is only loyal to two men.

One is his father, who has always backed his son to achieve success in the sport.

And Verstappen is said to be loyal to Helmut Marko at Red Bull as well.

There have been claims that Horner is the victim of a power struggle within the team, despite all the work he's done over the years.

Having been appointed in 2005, he oversaw the success of Sebastian Vettel while the German dominated the sport.

Vettel won four titles between 2010 and 2013 to establish himself as one of the best drivers of his generation.

But while Horner currently finds himself in the spotlight, the 50-year-old is eager to clear his name and determined to keep hold of his position.

Red Bull would, in an ideal world, want the situation resolved by February 15.

They will launch their new car for the upcoming 2024 F1 season that day as they look to enjoy yet another successful campaign.

According to the report, however, there's no guarantee the Formula One side will get their wish.

While Horner will speak to a lawyer on Friday as part of Red Bull's investigation, no final decision on his future is imminent.

And how the situation plays out remains to be seen.

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Red Bull announced they would be investigating Horner when news of the allegations broke.

In a statement, they said: "After becoming aware of recent allegations, the company initiated an independent investigation.

"This investigation, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialised lawyer.

"The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be complete as soon as practicable.

"It would not be appropriate to make any further comments at this time."

Horner is F1's longest-serving team principal at present.

The team are expected to achieve more success in the sport this year, especially with Verstappen winning 19 of 22 races last term.