The consequences of the crisis surrounding Christian Horner at Red Bull Racing may be incalculable for the team. After the first rumors about a flirt between Mercedes and Max Verstappen, it appears that the three-time world champion can leave Red Bull much earlier than expected due to a special clause in his contract. Top advisor Helmut Marko plays a crucial role in this.
Verstappen’s super deal, signed in 2022, runs until 2028 and it is no surprise that it contains (performance) clauses. But now it appears that the Limburger is free to go where he wants after every year, if top advisor Helmut Marko leaves the team. Several sources around the top team confirmed this after earlier reporting from F1-Insider and Bild. Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen does not want to respond to the story.
Last year it became clear that Verstappen had pushed hard internally for Marko to stay on longer, who is not employed by Red Bull Racing but by the parent company in Austria. The now eighty-year-old CEO included Verstappen in the racing team’s junior program in 2014 and allowed him to make his debut in Formula 1 the following year. “Respect and loyalty are my number one priority. I also feel that mutual respect from Helmut. I will not let him fall,” Verstappen said in an interview with De Telegraaf at the end of last year.
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Power struggle
The precarious situation surrounding team boss Christian Horner has once again made clear in recent weeks the power struggle raging within the Red Bull top, with Thai major shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya on the one side and ‘Austria’ on the other. Marko previously extended his contract with Red Bull by three years. The question is to what extent the Horner affair will have an impact in the near future. The team boss was acquitted last Wednesday by a lawyer engaged by Red Bull, following allegations from an employee about sexual misconduct. A day later, an anonymous sender sent an email containing alleged WhatsApp traffic between Horner and the reporter.
Father Jos Verstappen was photographed in Bahrain, talking to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, after which the first rumors were spread about a possible transfer of Verstappen junior. It is still very premature at the moment, but it is clear that mutual relations are a lot better than, say, two years ago after the historic 2021 season and the heated battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Jos Verstappen also spoke out on Saturday about the situation at Red Bull. “This situation is not good for the team and drives people apart. It cannot continue this way and there will be tension in the air.”
As far as the Mercedes rumors and Verstappen are concerned, Wolff also weighed in after the first race of the season in Bahrain. “Everything is possible,” he answered when asked whether Verstappen could be an option to succeed Hamilton in 2025. The seven-time world champion will leave for Ferrari after this season.
2024-03-04 18:58:59
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