Helmut Marko speaks out after Verstappen picked sides in Horner power struggle (2024)

Helmut Marko is grateful for the support of Max Verstappen (Image: Getty)

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The Austrian advisor was placed under a brief internal investigation for an alleged role in the leaking of Christian Horner’s WhatsApp messages. When informed about this after securing pole position in Jeddah, Verstappen said: “I have a lot of respect for Helmut, and what we have achieved together. It goes very far.

“My loyalty to him is very big, and I have always expressed this to everyone within the team, everyone high up, that he is an important part in my decision-making for the future. It is very important that he stays. I feel like if such an important pillar falls away, and I have told the team this, that it is not good for my situation as well.”

This incident was one part of a wider saga that threatened to destabilise the inner workings of the Red Bull team, with the futures of not just Horner and Marko, but also Verstappen and aerodynamics guru Adrian Newey placed into question.

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Max Verstappen threatened to quit Red Bull if Helmut Marko was dismissed (Image: Getty)

However, Marko was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, and the 80-year-old has since expressed his gratitude towards Verstappen. "That was a really big sign of loyalty,” he told Kleine Zeitung. “I absolutely don't take that for granted, especially in this day and age.”

After stealing the headlines on a daily basis during the first two races of the campaign, the turmoil at Red Bull has calmed down ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. In Melbourne, the discourse was dominated by Verstappen’s mechanical failure and Ferrari’s first win of the year, and at Suzuka, the intra-team battle was the main story.

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Giving an update on the current situation behind the scenes, Marko explained: “Basically, it's about bringing calm to the team. And that is urgently needed. As we saw in Australia, Ferrari is on hand if we don't deliver. Other factors also played a role, but the goal has to be the fourth World Championship title in a row. Everything else has to be subordinated to that.”

Marko was then asked about the state of the internal power struggle between himself and team principal Horner, responding: “That's politics, which I'm not involved in at the moment. It's all about winning the next World Championship title.”

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