Verstappen on his rivals: 'Of course they want to destabilise us'

Christian Horner was asked twice but the Red Bull Racing team boss was simply unable to answer any questions about the ongoing investigation. While the investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviour is ongoing and he wants the focus to remain on Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's RB20. This is hardly succeeding as the questions continue to be asked.

Before any conversation the Red Bull drivers have with the media, the team's press officer urge journalists to avoid bringing up the subject of Horner. Through a roundabout way, Max Verstappen did get questions about it on Thursday, for example, noting that other teams might try to destabilise Red Bull by reacting to the matter with Horner?

"But that is a constant tactic. Which is always applied with not only to this story. But that's always. That's typical Formula 1 too. Yes. 100%," Verstappen responded to GPblog. The Dutchman then frankly admits that Red Bull are also trying to destabilise the competition. "Yes. You try to take your own advantage from everything. Absolutely. We also try to pull people away [from other teams]."

With Red Bull by far the best team in recent years, the competition are actually trying to take personnel away from the Austrians. Verstappen is not worried about that. "It happens all the time. And especially if you do well, of course. But we also have our own engine programme now. That's also where you take people away from other teams. So that will always remain. It's also not something where I think, 'Yeah sh*t. What's going on here?' It's really quite standard actually always."