F1 News: Helmut Marko Reveals Update On Reported Christian Horner Feud As Pressure Intensifies

Helmut Marko claims he and Christian Horner have 'made a truce.'

Christian Horner and Helmut Marko / Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has officially declared an end to the rumored conflicts with team principal Christian Horner. Amidst widespread speculation about a power struggle, Marko's recent statement, "We have made a truce," has clarified the current state of affairs at one of the sport's most successful teams.

According to Marko, the focus for him and Horner is now squarely on enhancing Red Bull Racing's competitiveness against formidable rivals in the Formula 1 championship. He commented to Kronen Zeitung:

"We have made a truce. We will combine all our forces.

"Even if we are no longer superior, we want to win. But we definitely want to get the maximum out of it and look towards the world championship title."

[Translated by Google]

Reports of an internal struggle first appeared after the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who had a close relationship with Marko. These rumors were further fuelled earlier this year with the investigation into Christian Horner.

A female Red Bull employee accused the team principal of misconduct and inappropriate behavior. The Austrian team launched an independent investigation into the allegations which ended up exonerating Horner. However, 24 hours after the results of the investigation were released, WhatsApp messages which were allegedly between Horner and the employee were released - although it is worth noting that these were not confirmed to be real.

The employee, who has been suspended, has appealed the findings of the investigation and the appeal process is still ongoing behind the scenes.

Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen's father, mentioned a power struggle within the team in March, commenting, as quoted by The Mirror:

“There is definitely a certain power struggle going on. We'll see, I can't say too much about it. I hope peace returns soon and they start concentrating on racing because that's what it's all about. But this is not good.