Red Bull has denied suggestions that Christian Horner could be sacked before the Australian Grand Prix after team shareholders met in Dubai on Sunday evening.
Horner’s position as team boss has been the subject of intense speculation after he was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by a female employee before the start of the 2024 season.
An investigation cleared Horner and it appeared he would retain his position within the team, before alleged messages to the complainant were disclosed to a number of media outlets and F1 figures.
Counselor Dr. Helmut Marko then revealed that he was thinking about leaving the team before the evidence leak allegations emerged Hoorner‘s behavior – with Max Verstappen backing his mentor and claiming he ‘couldn’t continue’ without the Austrian. Marko then insisted that he would not leave the team after the crunch talks.
Horner’s ex-Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell has continued to publicly support her husband, appearing at both the Bahrain and Saudi Grand Prix events.
Red Bull have denied claims they could sack Christian Horner ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks
Red Bull majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya was another visible supporter of Horner during the Grand Prix
According to reports, Yoovidhya met with Red Bull director Oliver Mintzlaff in Dubai on Sunday evening
Majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya was a supporter of Horner all along, but a report from German outlet F1-Insider.com claimed he was now leaning towards sacking the team boss.
But on Sunday evening, after another dominant performance in Saudi Arabia, with Verstappen racing home to a second race win of the season with Sergio Perez again close behind him, the team denied that Voovidhya had turned on the 50-year-old.
The German outlet reported that Red Bull’s 51 percent majority shareholder was now on the same page in his view as fellow shareholders Mark Mateschitz and Oliver Mintzlaff, who had made the mistake of removing the pit boss.
“As Christian has said, he is grateful for the full support of shareholders and that remains so,” a Red Bull spokesperson said.
According to the Telegraph, Yoovidhya met with Mintzlaff in Dubai on Sunday, with the suspected topic being the next steps in the ongoing saga within the team.
Yoovidhya had publicly shown his support for Horner earlier this season by personally attending the opener in Bahrain with his partner.
Marko told the Dutch newspaper The Telegraph Sunday that he had considered running away even before the Horner controversy broke out.
“I hope it’s all over as soon as possible,” said the 80-year-old Austrian.
According to Forbes, the 73-year-old and his family have a net worth of around £26 billion.
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko (left) said he would not be suspended by the Formula 1 team after being accused of leaking evidence about Horner’s behavior
Horner, pictured with wife Geri Halliwell, was cleared of ‘coercive conduct’ towards a female employee before messages allegedly exchanged between the pair were leaked
“I was already thinking about leaving at the end of last year, but I also think we have to think about the legacy of Dietrich (Mateschitz, the founder of Red Bull), what his ideas were and where they took us. We owe that to him.’
De Telegraaf also reported that Marko had planned to fly back to Europe from Saudi Arabia with Horner, but instead opted to take a private jet with Verstappen.
Marko suggested he was clear after his conversation with Mintzlaff, saying: “We decided that these rumors (about the leaks) were spread and had no legal background. I will not be suspended.
‘Our goal is to win the world championship. We will have to work hard for that.’
Verstappen was imperious again on Saturday, cruising to victory in Jeddah for his second race victory in a week, as he starts the 2024 season the same way he ended 2023 – in dominant fashion.
He spared no expense in his feelings about the situation with Marko, openly claiming that without him he would struggle to stay at Red Bull.
However, before Saturday’s race, Verstappen said Sky Sports F1 it was ‘absolutely’ good news that Marko’s future seemed to be resolved.
Asked if he would really consider walking away, Verstappen said: ‘I have always said that the most important thing is that we work together as a team and that everyone keeps the peace.
Max Verstappen celebrated his victory on Saturday with a second victory in a row to kick off the 2024 season
Dutch superstar Verstappen has called for ‘peace’ at Red Bull as the team is gripped by scandals
Horner kept Halliwell close in Jeddah as Red Bull cruised to another victory
Marko (left) with Verstappen (second from left), Horner (second from right) and Sergio Perez (right) after Red Bull achieved another victory in Saudi Arabia on Saturday
‘And I think we all agree on that within the team. So hopefully that will be completely the case from now on.
‘Everyone is trying to focus in the same direction. And I think the positive thing about all this is that it hasn’t hurt our performance. So it is a very strong team.
“I also think mentally, what you can see not only from the driver’s side, but also from the mechanics, the engineers: everyone is there to do their job.
“And I think everyone, even when things are going on or whatever, they’re just focused on their work as they should be.”
Verstappen’s father Jos was one of the more vocal figures to call for Horner’s dismissal, claiming the team would ‘explode’ if he was allowed to remain in his post.
“The team is in danger of being torn apart,” he told Mail Sport exclusively. ‘It cannot continue as it is. It will explode.’
Then revealing footage emerged of the pair engaged in a fierce confrontation after qualifying on Friday evening.
According to his relations, Horner believes that Verstappen Snr has mounted a campaign to oust him in recent weeks, with the implication that the Dutchman may even have had a hand in the email leak. Verstappen Snr denies having played any role in the leak.
Jos (along with his son Max) told Mail Sport that Red Bull would ‘explode’ if Horner retained his team lead role
Both Verstappen and Horner waved their arms during their conversation behind closed doors
The Dutch star driver also admitted that he would always be ‘a team’ with his father, and the driver is said to have written a clause into his contract that Marko’s departure would pave the way for his own.
Horner’s prosecutor was suspended by the team following the QC-led investigation, although reports suggest they may appeal the verdict that acquitted him.
Red Bull’s current engine manufacturer Honda had called for transparency amid the ‘sex texts’ scandal following the suspension of its accuser for ‘dishonesty’
The Australian Grand Prix lasts less than two weeks and the Telegraph also reports that a separate investigation into leaks has been underway in recent weeks.
