Max Verstappen breaks silence over the rumored power struggle between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko

Max Verstappen claims Red Bull is focussed on expanding their late owners legacy than the reported power struggle.

Max Verstappen breaks silence over the rumored power struggle between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)

Rumors and reports have been spreading recently about a supposed power struggle within Red Bull Racing among team principal Christian Horner and chief advisor Helmut Marko. According to reports, the conflicts started after the death of the team’s co-founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, which resulted in his son, Mark Mateschitz, inheriting the multi-billion-dollar empire.

There were even reports suggesting that Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s three-time championship-winning driver, threatened to quit the team if Marko was ousted. The Dutchman, ahead of the US GP, has addressed and confirmed that these are just BS. He discussed the vibe and mood of the team and claimed that it was all good and everyone around the team acknowledged the hierarchy.

YouTube video

“From the outside, people are basically trying to talk BS...The mood in the team is very, very good, and everyone knows exactly what their role is.”

Verstappen said, as reported by Racingnews360,

The reigning champion claimed that Red Bull is focused on keeping the legacy of their late owner, Mateschitz, and everyone in the crew has an important role in the success they are enjoying.

FS Video

“We have tried to keep that legacy. Everyone that we have right now on the team is important to the success that we are having.”

Discover: Christian Horner claims Sergio Perez’s 2023 season ‘isn’t all bad’ despite massive second-half slump

How did Helmut Marko respond to this news?


Christian Horner was rumored to ‘target’ Helmut Marko’s job at Red Bull. But later, Marko denied all the claims about losing his job on the team. He said it was his decision on when and how to stop working within the team. Marko also added that the decision was completely his own.

David Coulthard, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko
David Coulthard, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko (Via IMAGO)

When quizzed about the power-hungry battle between the two, Marko answered vaguely. He said that due to the power shift, everything on the team was different. Hinting at Horner’s attempts to get rid of Marko, he said, ‘People are trying to re-line the powers.’ Marko also added that he has a contract with Red Bull that ends in 2024.

Helmut Marko is always the first to respond to any controversies surrounding the team. Marko declined the rumor, which claimed that Sergio Perez was being given an ‘ultimatum’ to finish P2 in the championship title.

In case you missed it: