Helmut Marko Addresses Max Verstappen's Mercedes Link In Surprising Christian Horner Comparison

Saajan Jogia | Aug 28, 2024

Christian Horner and Helmut Marko / Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko is of the opinion that Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, is closer to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff than Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. The statements come in light of Wolff's revelation that he was using his friendship with Jos to sign Max for a Mercedes seat alongside George Russell for next year.

Marko likely drew his contrast from the events of 2024. After Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior by a colleague early in the season, sparking a high-profile investigation that dominated headlines, it overshadowed Red Bull's on-track success. This led to a heated confrontation with Jos, who argued that Horner should step down, claiming his actions could bring down the entire team.

As he searches for a successor to Lewis Hamilton next year, Wolff revealed his attempts to secure Max through his father, Jos, a longtime friend. Although those efforts were unsuccessful, the Mercedes team boss remains confident that Max will eventually race for his team in the future.

Speaking frankly about Wolff's attempts to have Max onboard Mercedes, Marko explained on the Inside Line podcast:

“He wouldn't be a good team principal if he wouldn't try to get Max.

“I think every top team would like to have Max.

“The other story [of a meeting between Wolff and Verstappen's camp], all the people live in Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo, when it’s not the grand prix, it’s quite a quiet place. There are not so many coffee shops.

“So it's just natural that you run into each other, and of course, Toto makes a story out of it.

“On the other hand, Jos is a bigger fan of Toto than he is of Christian.”

Marko added that Max was focused on the current championship, and it is up to Red Bull to give him a fast car that could put the rumors to rest. He said:

“Every contract with a top F1 driver has exit clauses which are mainly based on performance.

“At the moment, Max is focused on winning the championship, as a team is focused on winning the championship, and we have to look forward. 2026, there are new rules coming.

“Nobody knows at the moment who will have a competitive engine. [Look] what happened in 2014 when all of a sudden the engine we used was at least 50 horsepower or more behind and was not reliable, you really don't know what will happen.

“But at the moment, everything is clear. Max will drive for Red Bull Racing next season, and we have to give him a car that he can win, and then all these rumors will stop.”