Helmut Marko backs former F1 driver in hitting back at Christian Horner claims

Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has hit back at some of the claims made by Christian Horner in his forthcoming memoir.

The long-time team principal, who was let go by the team last summer, claimed that Marko said that the team didn't 'need' a young Verstappen when they were considering signing him.

Both Marko and former driver Ralf Schumacher have refuted that version of events, with the former even saying that he had to fight Horner over giving the then 18-year-old Dutch driver his Red Bull debut.

Horner appears to have done some score-settling, particularly with Marko, in his new tome – and this particular piece appears to have gone down fairly poorly.

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Marko: Horner thought Verstappen was too inexperienced for Red Bull seat

“I’m ignoring it as much as possible," the 83-year-old told OE24. "Ralf Schumacher handled it very well.

He continued: "It worked out well the way it did. Max was successful in karting back then, and we had no idea about that. Later in Formula 3, we would have grown closer again, and that's how this unprecedented success story came about.

"I brought Max into Formula 1 and had to beat Horner in his first race for Red Bull in Barcelona. He thought Max was too young, too inexperienced..."

Schumacher, on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, had said: “Marko approached Max when he was just 11 and a half years old. At the time, Jos said it was still too early for him. The doctor, as you know him, was a bit miffed and said: ‘Okay, if you don’t want to, then so be it'.”

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