Marko backs Horner in MISTAKE claim to sign Red Bull driver

Dan Ripley
Tuesday 27 June 2023 20:57

Helmut Marko has admitted that Red Bull boss Christian Horner disagreed with him over the initial signing of Nyck de Vries.

De Vries is currently in his rookie season of Formula 1 and is still finding his feet as one of only two drivers yet to score points in 2023 along with fellow rookie Logan Sargeant at Williams.

The Dutchman has already come under pressure at a struggling AlphaTauri team who have just two points courtesy of two tenth-placed finishes from Yuki Tsunoda.

The team are a sister outfit of Red Bull, and are the first steps a driver from the Red Bull academy usually takes as they look to prove themselves at the pinnacle of motorsport.

However, Marko revealed that before this season, Horner had been wary of giving De Vries a chance this season - even admitting that the Red Bull team principal could be correct in light of De Vries' early season form.

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When asked on the last driver he disagreed with Horner on, Marko told the Inside Line F1 podcast: "Not often, but sometimes we do. The last one... I would say de Vries.

"Basically it's AlphaTauri, but we're a big family and we get opinions. He [Horner] was not a fan of De Vries.

"I would say at the moment it looks like he's [Horner] right."

Marko then went on to explain how De Vries got the nod over now Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher to race in F1 this term, based on a strong performance at the Italian Grand Prix last season where he finished ninth for Williams on his debut.

"Franz Tost (AlphaTauri boss) wanted Mick Schumacher, but he was in the Ferrari academy, through all his career, and he was already in F1.

"And basically, AlphaTauri is a junior team, De Vries' difference to Schumacher is that he had just one race, a very successful race at Monza, so he could fit in our philosophy in the junior team."

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