Helmut Marko, the longtime Red Bull advisor, has shared his version of events, revealing troubling details about the team’s internal dynamics in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, a media outlet closely associated with the Verstappen family.
Full-blown clash
By 2026, neither Christian Horner nor Helmut Marko will remain within Red Bull’s organisational structure, ending a two-decade era in which both were at the centre of attention as team principal and senior advisor. It is no secret, however, that tensions between the two had grown in recent years, culminating in an internal power struggle after the 2023 season. This friction nearly tore apart a team that had once seemed unbeatable, leading to the departure of most senior figures, not only in management but also across technical and engineering departments.
After confirming his definitive exit from the team, Helmut Marko recounted his side of the story. The choice of publication is telling, as he spoke to the De Telegraaf, implicitly signalling alignment with the Verstappen family’s perspective. Marko described a toxic atmosphere within Red Bull, which he attributes directly to the British team principal.
Max could have been champion without Horner?
“Me the winner of the war with Horner? No. We had to act because performance on track was falling behind,” commented the former Red Bull advisor, before delivering the first bombshell of his interview. “If we had done it earlier, this year we could have set things right sooner and Max would have become world champion. I am absolutely convinced. But the last few years with Horner were not pleasant. Some very unpleasant tricks were played.”
Alleged lies
Helmut Marko went further, citing specific incidents in which Christian Horner allegedly acted as an internal saboteur. “Remember when, during Sergio Pérez’s time in the team, it was claimed that Mexicans are less focused than the Dutch or Germans? That was made up, probably by them. Just like in 2024 when it was spread that our engine development was delayed and that we would lose Ford as a sponsor. I never said that, but Horner wanted to use it against me. Thanks to Max stepping in at Jeddah, it didn’t happen.”
This civil-war-like climate eventually backfired on Horner, who lost the support of Red Bull’s Thai ownership block, ultimately leading to his removal from the team. “Increasingly, we were able to show that Horner lied about everything, on every subject. Once Chalerm [Yoovidhya, the majority Red Bull shareholder] realised this, common sense returned,” Helmut Marko concluded.
The highly charged internal conflict within Red Bull led to the eventual departure of both key figures, concluding a lengthy power struggle that threatened to destabilize the team’s dominance despite its continued success on the track.
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