Max Verstappen ‘would rather Red Bull sack Christian Horner over Helmut Marko’

Max Verstappen would rather Red Bull part ways with team principal Christian Horner rather than advisor Helmut Marko, according to former F1 driver-turned-pundit Ralf Schumacher.

This discussion has been sparked by news from the Brazilian news outlet Globo, who suggested that Marko will be removed from his position within the team at the end of the season.

Speaking to Sky Sports Germany about the issue, Schumacher explained: “In the past there was a rumor that AlphaTauri was to be sold. But the sale was then prevented from Salzburg because it was another wish of the late Didi Mateschitz.

“Then it was decided that more support was needed. Christian Horner, in turn, took this as an opportunity to say: If I should support more, I also have to have more influence.

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“The owner family was originally of the opinion that there wasn’t necessarily a need for two teams in Formula 1. Now I have the feeling that Horner should take over the AlphaTauri theme and make the team as successful as possible to achieve it, possibly being able to sell at a higher price at some point. That’s the intention behind it.”

Schumacher then explained Verstappen’s position on the matter, suggesting: “The connection between Dr. Marko and Verstappen should not be underestimated.

“Dr. Marko promoted him very early on and is always on his side. We hear that Verstappen wouldn’t tolerate it, but could rather do without Horner.”

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Marko has rarely been far from the news in 2023, most notably for his comments targeted at Red Bull driver Sergio Perez – but also for his treatment of rookie Nyck de Vries, who he fought to bring into the team over the winter.

The Austrian landed himself in hot water earlier this year when he told ServusTV: “Let’s remember that he (Perez) is South American and so he is not as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel was.”

On top of that controversy, the underwhelming performance of AlphaTauri this season has not helped the atmosphere. The Faenza-based team sit rock-bottom in the Constructors’ Championship standings after 17 races with just five points to their name.

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