- Red Bull motorsports advisor said possible suspension is ruled out
- He denied accusations of leaking evidence about team manager Christian Horner.
- Marko’s departure could well have caused Verstappen’s own departure from the team
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Team principal Christian Horner insisted “no one is bigger than the team” after Red Bull achieved a second consecutive 1-2 finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix despite the scandal that rocked the F1 team. .
Max Verstappen took his second victory in two races in 2024 and his ninth consecutive victory since September.
By leading his teammate Sergio Pérez to a one-two at Red Bull, he continued the overwhelming superiority that Verstappen has had over Formula 1 for almost two years.
Horner later told Sky Sports: “Obviously a lot is done with this material.” But we are a team and no one is bigger than the team.
‘This team is made up of more than 1,400 people in the different entities and each one has a role to play. That is from the bottom to the top and without them achieving it you will not get performances like this.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner denied there was any conflict at the top of the F1 team
Helmut Marko has revealed that he will not be leaving Red Bull after speaking with the company’s sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff (right).
“Unfortunately there has been a lot of speculation this weekend, but once again our focus is on the track.”
His comments came after Dr Helmut Marko insisted he will not leave Red Bull as a result of the scandal.
In an extraordinary twist in this ridiculous saga, the 80-year-old motorsports adviser said suspension was now ruled out after talks with the energy drinks company’s sporting director, Oliver Mintzlaff, in the Jeddah paddock.
Just a day earlier, Marko had hinted that he would walk out the door and possibly never return after being accused by the team of leaking evidence about team manager Christian Horner’s behavior towards a female colleague.
Marko’s departure may well have prompted Max Verstappen to leave with him, as the world champion promised to do after qualifying in a declaration of loyalty to his mentor.
Now everything is smooth again, and Marko said before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: “The conversation with Mintzalff was very good. I think everything is clarified.
Marko also thanked Max Verstappen for his loyalty after the Red Bull star threatened to quit if his mentor and team motorsport advisor left.
There have been accusations that Marko leaked evidence about Christian Horner’s (left) behavior towards a female colleague, who he claimed had “no legal background”.
‘We decided that these rumors had spread and had no legal basis. I will not be suspended. Our goal is to win the world championship. For that we will have to work hard.”
Asked if he was confident Verstappen would be with the team until the end of his contract in 2028, Marko added: “That’s a long time…”
He added: “I was really grateful for how loyal Max was. I was impressed.
“At the moment we are not going to Mercedes together.”
When asked if Verstappen would stay, Mitzlaff said: ‘Of course. He has a contract. Max is a great driver and hopefully we win tonight. I’m just here to compete. That’s all.’