Though he has cautioned that “a door will open for him everywhere” should the Dutchman decide he has had enough, Helmut Marko thinks Max Verstappen is “relaxed” despite the continuous turbulence within the Red Bull squad.
When the parent company of Red Bull announced a probe into team principal Christian Horner last month, infighting came to light. A female coworker accused him of acting inappropriately, but the complaint was eventually dropped.
However, it didn’t end there. There is plenty indication that things are not going well behind the scenes, from Verstappen’s father Jos openly demanding Horner’s departure to Marko suggesting he was also under investigation but then confirming he was staying.
The 80-year-old expressed her hope that the matter will be settled quickly to the De Telegraaf. “These past few weeks haven’t been the most beautiful moment. Ultimately, our goal as a team is to support Max in his victory and help him turn into one of the greatest drivers of all time.
“What occurs once Max finishes using it? After that, we’ll talk about it internally. But everywhere I look, I know a door will open for him. Max isolates himself from the outside world.
“What really impressed me, though, was that he didn’t even inquire about the fastest lap over the last laps in Saudi Arabia, instead attempting to beat it. All he wanted to do was drive to the finish line safely. He is currently that at ease.”
Following his suggestion that his time with Red Bull was running out, Marko was seen coming in the Jeddah paddock accompanied by Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Red Bull Corporate Projects. That came about following discussions on the adviser’s future with the club and prior to the adviser declaring his satisfaction with the team’s leadership moving ahead.
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“Today, a lot of things have been made clear,” Marko stated. “Is Christian Horner still available for work? Why not, we’ve been doing that for nineteen years? However, certain problems need to be fixed still.”
Since his close friend and former Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz passed away in 2022, Marko has struggled greatly, and his previous level of freedom has vanished under new ownership. The Austrian said, “I was already considering leaving at the end of last season.”
“I think we should also think about team founder Dietrich Mateschitz and his legacy, what his ideas were and where it has taken us,” he continued, having obviously made the decision to stay. We owe that to him, but I also think of it as a way to honor a truly remarkable individual.”
