Helmut Marko didn’t tiptoe on his way out of Red Bull.
Instead, the outgoing powerbroker delivered a statement that landed like a thunderclap across the Formula One paddock.
According to the 82-year-old, Max Verstappen’s fifth straight world championship slipped away this season for one simple reason: Christian Horner stayed in charge for too long.
It’s a claim that rewrites the narrative of Red Bull’s dramatic year — and one Marko insists he believes without hesitation.
A Title That Slipped Through Red Bull’s Fingers
Verstappen came painfully close to making history again.
The four-time world champion pushed the fight all the way to the final race in Abu Dhabi and even won that season finale. But it wasn’t enough.
McLaren’s Lando Norris held his nerve, secured his first-ever world title, and finished ahead of Verstappen in the standings, with Oscar Piastri also ahead in the final reckoning.
For Red Bull, it was a rare feeling — being fast, competitive, but just not quite sharp enough when it mattered most.
Marko’s Blunt Verdict on What Went Wrong
Speaking to De Limburger after leaving the team, Marko suggested the slump wasn’t about drivers or machinery alone.
He believes leadership turbulence slowed Red Bull’s recovery when performance started dipping.
“We had to do something because our on-track performance was lagging,” Marko said.
“Had we done that sooner, we would have gotten things back on track faster — and Max would have become world champion. I’m absolutely convinced of that.”
It was a rare moment of total certainty from a man known for sharp edges and sharper opinions.
The Horner Controversy That Changed Everything
Christian Horner’s eventual dismissal in July followed months of unrest.
The Red Bull team principal had been engulfed in controversy after allegations surfaced that he acted coercively toward a female employee.
Horner denied the claims throughout and was twice cleared following investigations by two separate independent King’s Counsels in 2024.
Still, the damage was done. A media storm followed, made worse by leaked messages allegedly linked to the case circulating among senior figures in the paddock.
Behind the scenes, a deeper struggle for control was unfolding.
A Power Struggle Behind Closed Doors
After the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2023, tensions intensified between the company’s Thai and Austrian factions.
Marko, a close ally of Mateschitz and a co-founder of Red Bull Racing, found himself firmly backed by the Austrian side.
Marko insists Horner’s exit wasn’t personal.
But he acknowledged he was determined to stop the Briton from consolidating even more power during a sensitive transitional period for the team.
“I was keen, on behalf of Austria, to prevent that,” Marko explained, making it clear this was about structure, not spite.
‘Dirty Tricks’ and Old Grievances
Marko also used the interview to air long-simmering frustrations, claiming the final years working alongside Horner were deeply unpleasant.
“Dirty tricks were played,” he said.
He revisited the controversy from 2023 when he was warned by the FIA for what was described as a xenophobic slur, after remarks linking Sergio Pérez’s inconsistency to his ethnicity.
Marko now claims the comments were fabricated or distorted.
He made a similar claim about reports in 2024 suggesting Red Bull’s engine development was behind schedule and at risk of losing Ford as a future partner.
“I never said that,” Marko insisted, adding that he believed the situation was used in an attempt to get him suspended.
Only Verstappen’s vocal backing, he claims, prevented that outcome.
Horner’s Exit Comes at a Price
Horner officially left Red Bull in September after agreeing to an £80 million settlement.
While that figure is eye-watering, it was still less than the £110 million he would have received had his contract — which ran until 2030 — been paid out in full.
Daily Mail Sport understands weeks of negotiations led to the reduced deal, largely because Horner wanted the freedom to return to Formula One sooner rather than sit out the sport for years.
That exit closed the book on a hugely successful era.
The End of a Golden Chapter at Milton Keynes
Horner had been at the helm since Red Bull entered Formula One in 2005.
Across two dominant cycles — first with Sebastian Vettel, then with Verstappen — the team collected eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships.
He was a constant presence in the paddock, rarely seen without wife Geri Halliwell by his side, and helped turn Red Bull into one of the most formidable teams in modern F1 history.
Another Shock for Verstappen
Marko’s own departure now signals another major shift — and one that hits Verstappen particularly hard.
The two shared a close bond, with Marko long regarded as one of Verstappen’s strongest internal allies.
Neither Max nor his father, Jos Verstappen, are believed to have been happy with the decision.
Still, sources suggest they’ve accepted it as part of the team’s evolving reality.
A Team Still Searching for Stability
With Horner gone and Marko now out of the picture as well, Red Bull finds itself in unfamiliar territory.
The cars remain quick, the talent remains elite — but the leadership landscape has changed dramatically.
And if Marko is right, the timing of those changes may have already rewritten the history books.
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