Formula 1 racing team Red Bull just can’t calm down: On Friday, motorsport boss Helmut Marko announced, completely unexpectedly, that he may no longer have a future with the world champion team. Apparently the 80-year-old provoked his possible impending suspension himself.
According to “Bild”, Dr. Helmut Marko conducted the interview with the broadcaster “ORF” on Friday contrary to express instructions from parent company Red Bull. A clear provocation against his employer, according to the tabloid.
There is speculation that Red Bull is now investigating the 80-year-old internally after alleged chats between team boss Christian Horner and an employee were circulated in anonymous emails during the last race weekend in Bahrain. This is said to be the employee who accused the Brit of inappropriate behavior and got the Horner case going in the first place.
Marko had always called for the case to be clarified transparently. Now, according to “ORF”, he may be about to be replaced after the race in Saudi Arabia. Marko himself neither wanted to deny nor confirm this to the broadcaster. “There are so many speculations and the like going around, I don’t want to contribute to that,” he also said on “Sky” and added: “The theoretical possibility always exists.”
F1 expert Görner: “The situation at Red Bull is escalating”
Meanwhile, the Austrian made it clear that he “ultimately decides for himself” what his future looks like. He also revealed to “Sky” that he was in talks with Red Bull managing director Dietrich Mateschitz about the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. “And then we’ll see. But everything has to be right so that I want to continue working there,” he ultimately even threatened to resign.
The background is the simmering power struggle at Red Bull, which is no longer being fought in the background but openly in the paddock. Team boss Horner is supported by the Thai shareholders, while Marko represents the Austrian camp.
According to Formula 1 expert Felix Görner, it will now come down to one of the two having to leave after the race weekend in Saudi Arabia. Either the separation from Helmut Marko or Christian Horner will be completed. “The situation at Red Bull is escalating,” said the RTL expert in his assessment.