The Red Bull internal turmoil reached peak fervor when reports came out that the team may suspend Helmut Marko. These rumors emerged during the Saudi Arabian GP weekend, and Marko himself admitted the possibility in the media. While the Austrian retained his position later, Business F1 has shed light on the entire saga in its May 2024 issue. The magazine reported that Christian Horner could have been the mastermind behind Marko’s possible suspension.
The report stated, “Horner who had previously been in severe danger of being sacked himself over a s*x scandal, but had been reprieved by the intervention of Yoovidhya, now took advantage of the situation to try and remove his close rival.”
It claimed that Horner wished to “assume total control of Red Bull’s Formula One operations”. Thus, the 50-year-old “wanted Marko gone”. The Business F1 report gave a detailed account of how the Red Bull boss met with Chalerm Yoovidha [Red Bull’s Thai shareholder] for the same.
It stated, “Horner sought Yoovidhya’s permission to suspend Marko and then quickly sack him.”
Amid all this, Marko was reportedly spending time with the Verstappens. At Jos Verstappen’s 52nd birthday, the Austrian advisor discussed the possibility of his suspension with the former F1 driver and his son, Max Verstappen. Meanwhile, Max had already pledged his loyalty to the 80-year-old during the Saudi GP weekend.
How Max Verstappen leveraged his position to save Helmut Marko?
When reports came out about Helmut Marko’s potential suspension, Max Verstappen made his stance quite clear. The Dutchman was not sitting on the fence and stated that he would consider his future if Red Bull took action against Marko.
His remarks unsettled the Red Bull camp, and the Austrian brand’s shareholders had to jump in to settle the matter. Verstappen’s contract reportedly has a clause that allows him to end his Red Bull association if Marko leaves.
Apparently, Horner was unaware of this clause, as per Business F1. When the Dutchman’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, told Horner about the same, the 50-year-old thought he was bluffing.
However, the serious statement that Verstappen had made in Jeddah would have made every Red Bull stakeholder worry a bit. The Business F1 report also mentioned how this secret contract clause was privately agreed upon with the Verstappen father-son duo, Vermeulen, Marko, and the late Dieterich Mateschitz.
As things stand, Marko is still the Red Bull advisor with Verstappen staying put at the team. However, with Adrian Newey’s exit, that could change in the coming months.
