Helmut Marko, a senior advisor at Red Bull, has been steadfast in his stance regarding the future of key figures within the team.
Despite Red Bull’s success on the track, evidenced by their dominant one-two finish at the F1 2024 Bahrain season opener, tensions behind the scenes have become apparent to the public.
Following an internal investigation by Red Bull GmbH concerning team boss Christian Horner’s conduct, which Horner vehemently denies, allegations surfaced when an anonymous email leaked purported evidence related to the investigation.
Shortly thereafter, Jos Verstappen, father of star driver Max Verstappen, publicly called for Horner’s departure.
This chain of events has ignited speculation about a potential shake-up in Formula 1’s ongoing ‘silly season’, with rumors suggesting that Max Verstappen could make a surprising move to Mercedes.
With Lewis Hamilton reportedly set to join Ferrari in 2025, a vacancy at Mercedes opens up, fueling further speculation.
When questioned about the possibility of Jos Verstappen engaging in discussions with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, Marko remained tight-lipped; “You won’t get any comment from me on that.”
It was suggested that Max Verstappen has a clause in his contract with Red Bull that permits him to depart from the team if Helmut Marko also leaves. However, Marko did not offer much insight into this claim, simply emphasizing the strong level of “trust” between himself and the three-time World Champion.
Marko highlighted; “I’m sticking to my ‘No Comment!’ here as well. The fact is that there is a great relationship of trust between Max and me.”
The discussion then shifted to Christian Horner’s future within the team, with Marko questioning whether Horner could continue in his role as team principal given the apparent breakdown in his relationship with the Verstappen camp.
“I won’t comment on that until the case is fully closed,” responded Marko initially. However, upon being reminded that the Red Bull investigation into Horner had concluded, Marko revised his statement, saying, “Okay, then I’ve expressed myself wrong. So let’s stick with ‘No Comment!’’
Gerhard Berger, a 10-time F1 Grand Prix winner and a friend of Marko’s, recently made a bold prediction regarding Red Bull’s future.
He forecasted that Horner would remain with the team while Marko, Newey, and Verstappen would all depart. Interestingly, even this speculation did not elicit a straightforward denial from Marko.
“It’s an interesting variation,” Marko remarked.
