Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko candidly admits that the pointed remarks made by Jos Verstappen in the media contributed to the unrest within Red Bull. The father of Max Verstappen repeatedly criticized team boss Christian Horner and attributed the team’s exodus and poor performance to the Brit.
The father of world champion Max Verstappen warned at the beginning of the season about the “breakdown” of Red Bull, immediately blaming team boss Christian Horner. “This can’t go on. Horner plays the victim, while he is the one causing the problems,” Verstappen senior said at the time.
Although Verstappen was proven right in retrospect, with key figures like Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley leaving the Red Bull stable, Marko believes it was unwise for the rally driver to make these statements in the media. “Let’s put it this way, it didn’t help either,” the advisor tells ORF Tirol. In addition to Verstappen senior’s statements, Marko believes the death of Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022 and the Horner scandal contributed to the current unrest.
Is the Air Clear Again?
Marko reveals that Red Bull’s leadership has since sat down with Verstappen senior. “We sat down together and agreed that we need to work together,” the Austrian continues. “We need to collaborate in all areas to win this championship.”
The Austrian racing team hopes that this will restore calm within the team for the future. “This is also the direction we need to follow for the future, because it’s clear that if we don’t give Max a car with which he can win, complications can arise in the long term,” says Marko. “All top drivers have exit options in their contract and in this case, Max can also look for another option. He will drive where the package is best.”
