Max Verstappen has vowed to leave Red Bull Racing if team advisor Helmut Marko is thrown out.
The 80-year-old is Verstappen’s coach, and he recently stated he might be suspended by Red Bull due to the lingering fallout from the Christian Horner affair. Horner was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female coworker, but was exonerated of all charges after an independent review last week.
However, the issue shows no signs of fading down, with Verstappen’s father, Jos, and now Marko all involved. When queried by Austrian TV ORF about a report that he could be suspended before the Austrian Grand Prix later this month, Marko confirmed that the “theoretical possibility exists”.
He stated, “I’ll put it this way, it’s difficult to judge, or, to put it another way, I’ll decide for myself what I do in the end. The theoretical possibility is always present. I think it’s a very complicated problem. We aim to maintain team harmony.This world championship will be challenging enough with 24 races, and we must focus on that. The most essential thing is that we return to the sporting side of things and that the squad focuses on what matters. That’s functioning nicely right now.”
According to reports, Verstappen’s contract has a break provision that allows him to leave Red Bull if Marko goes, despite the fact that the Dutchman is under contract with the club until 2028.
When asked about Marko’s remarks, Verstappen said that he urged Red Bull that Marko “has to stay” active. “If such an important pillar falls away, it is not good for my situation and I have told the team that,” Verstappen stated in a statement.
“He plays a significant role in my long-term decisions. Helmut, in my opinion, must stay. I have a lot of respect for him and everything we’ve accomplished together. It extends pretty far. He formed this team with Dietrich (Mateschitz).
The latest controversy follows Verstappen’s pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He won the season’s first Grand Prix in Bahrain last week and remains the overwhelming favourite to win a fourth successive world title this year.
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