Helmut Marko Reveals Extent of Red Bull Power Struggle with Christian Horner

Helmut Marko has detailed the intense internal power struggle at Red Bull Racing that led to Christian Horner's dismissal, alleging Horner attempted to seize control following founder Dietrich Mateschitz's death by aligning with the company's Thai co-owner. Marko claims the conflict, marked by "dirty games," ultimately harmed the team's performance and cost Max Verstappen a potential championship.

Why it matters:

The revelations provide an unprecedented look into the corporate and personal dynamics that destabilized Formula 1's most dominant team. Understanding this power shift is crucial as it explains the on-track performance decline of Red Bull and sets the stage for the team's future direction under new leadership.

The details:

• Marko asserts that the power within Red Bull Racing "was always in Austria" with himself and the late Dietrich Mateschitz, who appointed Horner as team principal in 2005.
• He recounts that Horner, anticipating Mateschitz's passing in 2022, began aligning with Chalerm Yoovidhya, the Thai co-founder of Red Bull GmbH, to shift control.
• After Mateschitz died, Horner allegedly "did everything he could to take over with Yoovidhya's support," while Marko worked to prevent it on behalf of the Austrian side.
• The conflict escalated with "dirty games," including what Marko describes as fabricated stories—like claims he made derogatory comments about Sergio Pérez or falsely stated the engine program was behind schedule—which he believes were used by Horner in an attempt to have him suspended.
• Marko credits Max Verstappen's public support in Jeddah in early 2024 for preventing his own suspension.
• Horner's eventual firing in July came after the Austrian faction was "able to show that Horner was lying about everything and anything," leading Yoovidhya to reconsider his support.

The big picture:

Marko frames Horner's removal not as a personal victory but as a necessary action due to declining track performance. He is "absolutely convinced" that acting sooner would have corrected the team's course in time for Verstappen to win a fifth consecutive drivers' championship. The account paints the final years of Horner's two-decade tenure as deeply unpleasant and politically charged, revealing how internal strife can directly impact competitive results at the highest level of the sport.