- Red Bull’s motorsport advisor said a possible suspension has been ruled out
- He denied allegations of leaking evidence about team boss Christian Horner
- Marko’s departure may have led to Verstappen’s departure from the team
Team boss Christian Horner insisted ‘no one is bigger than the team’ after Red Bull recorded a second straight 1-2 draw in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix despite the scandal that rocked the F1 team .
Max Verstappen took his second victory in two races in 2024 and his ninth consecutive win dating back to September.
Leading teammate Sergio Perez to a one-two of Red Bull continued the crushing superiority that Verstappen has had over the Formula 1 field for almost two years.
Afterwards, Horner told Sky Sports: ‘Obviously a lot of this stuff is being made. But we are one team and no one is bigger than the team.
‘This team consists of more than 1,400 people across the various entities, and everyone has a role to play. That’s from the very lowest to the very highest, and without them reaching that, you don’t get these kinds of performances.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner denied there were conflicts at the top of the F1 team
Helmut Marko has revealed he will not leave Red Bull after talks with the company’s head of sport, Oliver Mintzlaff (right)
“Unfortunately there has been a lot of speculation this weekend, but our focus is once again on the track.”
His comments came after Dr Helmut Marko insisted he will not be leaving Red Bull as a result of the scandal.
In an extraordinary twist in this ridiculous saga, the 80-year-old motorsport consultant said suspension has now been ruled out after talks with the energy drinks company’s sporting head, Oliver Mintzlaff, in the Jeddah paddock.
Just a day earlier, Marko had hinted that he was through the door, and might never return, after being accused by the team of leaking evidence about team boss Christian Horner’s behavior towards a female colleague.
Marko’s departure may have led to Max Verstappen joining him, as the world champion promised to do after qualifying in a declaration of loyalty to his mentor.
Now everything is flowing again and Marko says before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: ‘The conversation with Mintzalff was very good. I think everything has been cleared up.
Marko also thanked Max Verstappen for his loyalty after the Red Bull star threatened to quit if his mentor and the team’s motorsport advisor left
There were allegations that Marko had leaked evidence about Christian Horner’s (left-wing) behavior towards a female colleague – which he says had no ‘legal background’
‘We came to the conclusion that these rumors had been spread and had no legal basis. I will not be suspended. Our goal is to win the world championship. We will have to work hard for that.’
When asked if he was confident Verstappen would stay with the team until the end of his contract in 2028, Marko replied: “That’s a long time…”
He added: “I was very grateful for how loyal Max was. I was impressed.
“We are not going to Mercedes together at the moment.”
When asked if Verstappen would stay, Mitzlaff said: ‘Of course. He has a contract. Max is a great driver and hopefully we win tonight. I’m just here to race. That is it.’