Helmut Marko criticizes Christian Horner for harsh claims after leaving Red Bull
Helmut Marko quickly responded to Christian Horner’s claims that he worked to get him removed as Red Bull’s team boss.
Horner led Red Bull Racing for over 20 years, starting soon after the energy drink company bought the old Jaguar team in 2004. During his time, Horner helped turn Red Bull into a top Formula 1 team. They had big success between 2010 and 2013, winning four straight Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with Sebastian Vettel.
From 2014, Mercedes took over with new turbo hybrid engines, but Red Bull came back strong when Max Verstappen won the 2021 title in a dramatic battle with Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen then won four championships in a row, and Red Bull also took the Constructors’ titles in 2022 and 2023.
Horner left Red Bull halfway through the 2025 season and stayed out of the spotlight for a while. He’s now back in the news ahead of his autobiography, “Drive.” In interviews, he’s talked about leaving the team and said things changed after the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022. He claims his relationship with Marko got worse after that, and recently accused Marko of working to push him out. Horner also said they haven’t spoken since he left, and that it hurt him Marko didn’t offer condolences after the death of his ex-partner, the mother of his daughter.
Marko retired at the end of the 2025 season, when Verstappen just missed out on a fifth title to McLaren’s Lando Norris. Marko responded to Horner’s claims very directly, calling them “a collection of untruths” and said he didn’t want to discuss them any further.
Marko is known for helping develop many young drivers through Red Bull, including champions Vettel and Verstappen, along with Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and others.