Christian Horner’s sacking from his role as CEO and team principal at Red Bull Racing came as a major shock to the F1 world.
But it’s now been reported that team special advisor Helmut Marko was present at the meeting where Horner was fired.
Helmut Marko played ‘key role’ in Christian Horner sacking
The news that Christian Horner had been sacked from his role as CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing after two decades leading the team came as a shock to many, but it appears that some members of the team knew it was coming.
Reporting from German publication BILD, Red Bull special advisor Helmut Marko was not just present at the meeting in which Horner was fired, but claims he played a key role in the discussions about that sacking.
The publication confirms that, while the sacking seemed to come as a surprise to Horner, it had been in the works for several weeks. At a meeting between Red Bull head of sport Oliver Mintzlaff, owners Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, and Helmut Marko on Monday 7 July, Mintzlaff announced Horner’s departure.
Horner was then fired the following day in a meeting with Marko and Mintzlaff.
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Marko is said to have played a key role in the discussions regarding Horner’s future at the team.
The reasons for the former team principal’s firing are varied. Most notably is the fact that Red Bull Racing has lost its grasp on the World Championship. While reigning champion Max Verstappen still sits third in the drivers’ championship standings, the RB21 is near impossible for any other driver to pilot, which means the team itself sits fourth in the WCC.
This is clearly a frustrating situation for both the team and for Verstappen, who has committed to Red Bull through 2028 — unless a performance clause in his contract is activated.
Further, as the 2024 F1 season kicked off, Horner was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a former female employee; while he was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing, the investigation into Horner seemed to heighten major tensions between the then-CEO and Helmut Marko, and Horner and Jos Verstappen.
The scandal was exacerbated by multiple other factors, including the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz and the loss of major talents from the team, including Adrian Newey (design), Jonathan Wheatley (sporting director), Will Courtenay (head of strategy), Rob Marshall (chief engineering officer), and Lee Stevenson (Verstappen’s chief mechanic).
Meanwhile, Helmut Marko has been discussing the possibility of stepping back from his duties with the team; he’s pinpointed former four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel as a potential successor.
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