Helmut Marko has launched a blistering assault on Christian Horner, blaming him for, amongst different issues, Max Verstappen lacking out on the title.
Very like Lewis Hamilton – particularly within the wake of the 2025 season – we’ll have to attend for the guide to be taught the true story of what is been occurring at Pink Bull during the last two years.
The wheels appeared to come back off in early 2024 when discuss of inappropriate behaviour involving Christian Horner and a feminine worker started to floor. Amidst the investigations into the ‘affair’, there was discuss of a cut up inside the group involving these on Horner’s facet and an Austrian faction sad with the Milton Keynes outfit’s British bias, actually so far as the media was concerned.
Whereas Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing the unease inside the group continued, the deteriorating environment main to numerous key members of workers leaving, not least design celebrity Adrian Newey.
Although outwardly the group went into 2025 wanting as if issues had calmed down clearly this was a false impression for in the summertime Horner was fired with out warning.
His firing coincided with a droop in group efficiency, however a raft of upgrades commencing at Monza noticed the group flip issues round to such an extent that Max Verstappen went into the ultimate race of the season with an opportunity of scoring his fifth successive title.
That he failed, in response to Helmut Marko, who left the group final week, was right down to the group’s former boss.
“We needed to act,” the Austrian tells De Limburger, “as a result of efficiency on monitor was falling behind.
“If we had carried out it earlier, we might have gotten issues again on monitor sooner and Max Verstappen would have been world champion this yr,” he provides. “I’m completely satisfied of that.”
Referring to the set-up of the group, he says: “Along with Didi, I based Pink Bull Racing in 2005. We appointed Horner as group principal, and I used to be there as a supervisor. In precept, the facility was all the time in Austria, we made the choices.”
Whereas the choices had been made in Austria, the very fact is that the group was based mostly within the UK, residence to nearly all of the groups, and it was a Briton on the helm because the group gained numerous drivers’ and constructors’ titles.
Marko insists that behind the scenes Horner was taking part in a political energy recreation and used the passing of Dietrich Mateschitz to his benefit.
“I bear in mind a celebration earlier that yr, forward of the Austrian Grand Prix, Didi was there however not in good well being,” remembers the Austrian. “Christian got here as much as me and mentioned ‘he will not make it to the top of the yr’.
From that second on, Christian started cozying as much as Chalerm Yoovidhya,” he continues, referring to Pink Bull’s co-owner. “When Didi handed away later that yr, Christian did every part he might to take management of the corporate with Yoovidhya’s help. On behalf of Austria, I did every part potential to stop that.
“These closing years with Horner weren’t nice,” he says. “Soiled video games had been being performed. Do you bear in mind when it was claimed that I mentioned Mexicans had been much less centered than Dutch or German folks throughout Sergio Perez’s time? That was fabricated, probably by them.
“The identical goes for the declare that in 2024 I unfold the story that our engine growth was delayed and that we might subsequently lose Ford as a associate,” he continues. “I by no means mentioned that, however Horner wished to make use of it to have me suspended. Due to Max’s help in Jeddah, that did not occur.
“An increasing number of typically, we had been capable of show that Horner lied about all kinds of issues. As soon as Chalerm realised that too, he modified his thoughts.”
The Austrian veteran was requested about the truth that the press launch saying his ‘departure’ was open to interpretation, Marko having since insisted the choice was fully his and that it wasn’t a case of leaping earlier than being pushed.
“I do not need to go into an excessive amount of element, however I did not learn that press launch stuffed with nonsense,” he says. “Let’s simply say that so much has modified on the group in a brief time frame. You assume folks properly, however in the long run that seems to not be the case, I actually will not say extra.”
In the meantime, Toto Wolff has joined the Horner-bashing. In an interview with The Telegraph, the Austrian admits that by no means a day passes with out recalling the occasions of Abu Dhabi 2021.
“We’ve not obtained over it,” he says. “I talked to Lewis about it yesterday. I give it some thought each day and so does he. And it is stayed with the group, too.
“Each had been deserving champions,” he provides, “however the referee made a foul name, to make use of a soccer analogy, and you’ll’t reverse it. The aim has been scored, the sport is completed.”
Requested if he has ever sat down with Horner to debate the matter, Wolff says: “By no means. He was by no means capable of admit it. I attempt to take a look at it from the opposite facet, and from their perspective, they deserved to be world champions, that they had had some incidents that had been unfair to them all through the season, and the end result of that race is a good illustration of the efficiency ranges through the season.
“Christian was by no means capable of admit the identical,” he provides, “that if it was the opposite approach spherical and had occurred to them that day, it could have been catastrophic, and he would have give you every kind of insults.
“I believe that the flexibility to be introspective or capable of see the opposite facet with some compassion is a complete hole in his character. It is the sense of entitlement he has. And that bit him in the long run, as a result of he felt entitled to all the facility, and Pink Bull did not need to give him that energy.”
Over to you Christian…
