F1 News: Red Bull chief hints at RETIRING

Christian Horner and Helmut Marko — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Red Bull chief hints at RETIRING from F1

It has been a difficult year for Red Bull

Originally written by Sheona Mountford. This version is a translation.

Wednesday 11 September 2024 23:00

Red Bull could soon be set to lose another senior figure from within their team with advisor Helmut Marko discussing withdrawing from the sport.

Both on track and off it, 2024 has been a difficult year for the reigning constructors' champions.

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Earlier this year team principal Christian Horner was accused of ‘inappropriate behavior’ by a female colleague, but was cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation.

However, the fallout from the controversy has left an enduring impact on the team, with Horner and Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, no longer on amicable terms after the Dutchman suggested the issue would ‘tear the team apart’.

Christian Horner was embroiled in controversy earlier this year

Jos Verstappen has been openly critical of Christian Horner in 2024

Can Red Bull survive after a year of controversy?

Now, Marko has raised doubts about how long he may remain with the team, too.

In a recent interview with Formule1.nl, Marko explained: “I’m not getting any younger,"

“My contract runs until 2026, but as long as I’m physically and mentally able to do my job, I’ll continue.

"I still enjoy it, but of course, I’ll withdraw more and more and hopefully find a good successor.”

If this was not enough for the team to contend with, Red Bull have also suffered a significant decline in performance over the past few months.

The team have not won a race since the Spanish GP, and Verstappen found himself nearly 38 seconds behind race winner Charles Leclerc at Monza.

Red Bull’s persisting woes have done nothing to quell rumors that a move to Mercedes could be on the cards for Verstappen, if not for next year then for 2026 and beyond.

It was even suggested that team chief Helmut Marko would also make the move to Mercedes, however both he and Verstappen have asserted their allegiance to Red Bull for the time being.

Red Bull Max Verstappen Christian Horner Helmut Marko Jos Verstappen