Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko bluntly shut down questions when asked by a reporter several times about the prospect of Max Verstappen leaving for Mercedes. Tensions are high at the Milton Keynes-based outfit as a result of allegations that team principal Christian Horner has faced over his conduct.
Horner has been cleared of any wrongdoing by a lengthy Red Bull investigation after he was accused of inappropriate behaviour. But the 50-year-old has been thrust into the spotlight at the start of the 2024 Formula One season and even Verstappen’s father has called for Horner to be sacked.
Jos Verstappen sensationally claimed that Red Bull will “explode” if Horner stays in his current position and after meeting with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff at the Bahrain Grand Prix, speculation has run rife over whether the three-time world champion could replace Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows.
Wolff cheekily replied “everything is possible” when asked about the prospect of Verstappen racing for Mercedes. The 25-year-old also reportedly has a break clause in his Red Bull contract that would allow him to leave before the 2028 end date, prompting Austrian outlet OE24 to probe Marko about the idea.
When asked if there was any truth in a report claiming that Jos Verstappen is negotiating a deal with Wolff and Mercedes, Marko replied: “You will not receive any comment from me.”
He then repeated the same answer when asked if there was a break clause in his star driver’s contract, but lifted the lid on his relationship with Verstappen. “I’ll stick with my ‘No Comment!’ here too. The fact is that there is a great relationship of trust between Max and me.”
Attention was then turned to the prospect of Horner leaving Red Bull, despite the team principal outlining his intention to remain in his current position. When asked if Horner can continue at Red Bull, Marko sharply explained: “I will only say something about this as soon as the case is finally concluded.”
