Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Helmut Marko, After Red Bull Exit, Alleges Christian Horner’s Power Grab and ‘Dirty Games’

He claims Verstappen would have retained the 2025 crown if Horner had been ousted sooner.

Overview

  • Marko says Horner sought to shift control toward majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya after Dietrich Mateschitz’s decline and death.
  • He alleges Horner spread fabricated claims about a xenophobic remark and Red Bull’s engine program to try to have him suspended, before Max Verstappen intervened at Jeddah.
  • Horner was removed as team principal in July and replaced by Laurent Mekies, after which Red Bull’s form improved but Verstappen finished two points behind Lando Norris.
  • Marko says he and allies persuaded Yoovidhya that Horner had been lying, which he claims led to the loss of support for Horner.
  • Red Bull has now confirmed Marko’s departure, and his interviews have intensified questions about the team’s governance heading into 2026.