Former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers has expressed concern over the significant influence still wielded by Christian Horner within the Red Bull organization, describing it as “terrifying.”
Over the past six weeks, Red Bull team principal Horner has been at the center of numerous headlines following revelations that he was under investigation for alleged inappropriate conduct.
Despite Red Bull GmbH dismissing this investigation on the eve of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the controversy surrounding Horner has continued unabated.
The situation escalated further when Jos Verstappen called for Horner’s resignation shortly after the two were involved in a heated altercation.
Matters intensified in Saudi Arabia when Helmut Marko disclosed the possibility of Horner facing suspension due to yet another ongoing investigation, this time concerning leaks related to the initial inquiry into Horner’s behavior.
In a show of solidarity, Max Verstappen publicly backed Marko, declaring that if the Austrian were to be removed from his position, he too would depart from Red Bull.
The threat of suspension for Helmut Marko was diffused just 24 hours later when he announced, following a meeting with Red Bull’s top management, that he “will stay” to serve as the team’s motorsport advisor.
However, the fact that Christian Horner remains in his position of authority at Red Bull continues to concern former Formula 1 driver Albers.
During an appearance on De Telegraaf’s podcast, Albers purportedly expressed his apprehension, describing it as “terrifying” that Horner retains significant influence within the Red Bull organization.
Albers also attributed Red Bull’s successful driver program, which has produced champions like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, to Marko rather than Horner.
He stated; “If you start looking very realistically, which drivers did he put in the car and which drivers did Dr Marko put in the car? Looking at success, with all due respect, all success comes from Marko.
“So if you really start looking at who has a view on talent, there is absolutely no debate on that. That’s just Dr Marko, who has always made the right choices.”
During a media interaction in Saudi Arabia, Horner emphatically asserted the authority wielded by Red Bull Racing.
“I think that there’s probably too much said already by other parties,” Horner said.
“The team is the team, Max is part of the team, Helmut is part of the team, I lead this team, and everybody has a key role to play.”
