Helmut Marko smiled mockingly away. It wasn’t all that tragic, said the 80-year-old about his possible replacement at Red Bull Racing – a little later the world champion spoke up, and it sounded different to him. “Helmut has to stay, that’s very important for me too,” said Max Verstappen with a serious look, and by now it was clear that this was also about the future of the best driver with the best team in Formula 1.
During qualifying, this news resounded through the paddock in Jeddah: According to a report from ORF, Marko is about to leave the world champion racing team as a result of the confusion surrounding team boss Christian Horner.
Conversation between Marko and Mitzlaff planned
“My loyalty to him is very great, I have always communicated that to everyone in the team right up to the top,” said Verstappen: “He is an important part of my decision-making in the future too.” If such an “important pillar” were to disappear, “ Then that’s not good for my situation either.” That sounded like a threat. Marko, the world champion’s sponsor, announced a conversation with Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff for Saturday in the evening. According to Marko, it’s “mutual” anyway, “everything has to be right so that I want to continue working there.”
If Marko, who has a contract until the end of 2026, actually has to leave the racing team, doubts about Verstappen’s future at Red Bull would grow again. The Dutchman apparently has a clause in his contract, which runs until 2028, that allows him to leave at the end of the season if Marko leaves. Because Verstappen’s father Jos recently spoke clearly against Horner, there was already speculation that the three-time champion would move to Mercedes.
Suddenly in focus: Helmut Marko : Image: dpa
Meanwhile, the team is working extremely successfully on the track. Verstappen will also start the second race of the season on Saturday (6 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for Formula 1 and on Sky) from the front, ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. But this sporting success threatened to be lost in view of this next dramatic one Development among the world champions.
Weeks ago, allegations from an employee against team boss Horner about “inappropriate behavior” became public. These were rejected after an internal investigation without any details being revealed. An anonymous sender then sent alleged information about the case to numerous high-ranking representatives in Formula 1 and the FIA. It has now emerged in Saudi Arabia that the employee concerned has been suspended from Red Bull.
Starts from position one in Jeddah: Max Verstappen: Image: AP
The former racing driver Marko has been working there since 2005, i.e. since Red Bull launched its own team in Formula 1, and was a confidante of the now deceased Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz. He was also always responsible for the Bulls’ youth program, of which Verstappen has been a member since 2014. “He built this team with Dietrich and he was always loyal,” said Verstappen.
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Another factor in the power struggle is the ownership structure at Red Bull: the majority owner is a Thai family around Chalerm Yoovidhaya, who always supported Horner. 49 percent of the company’s shares are located in Austria.