The rumors surronding Red Bull Racing and the future of Max Verstappen have been in full swing since the news of Christian Horner’s departure as their F1 team principal, and Helmut Marko was asked about it once again.
Two weeks ago it was announced that Horner would exit Red Bull with immediate effect. Racing Bulls’ Laurent Mekies was to take over his duties. After two decades of working with the team, the youngest team principle the sport has seen was terminated from his position.
Marko on the Verstappen and Wolff speculation
After the dip in performance Red Bull Racing experienced this season, the rumors of their star driver, Max Verstappen, exiting the team have been plenty. Horner’s exit provided another reason for speculation. Helmut Marko was asked by OE24 if he had spoken to Max Verstappen regarding Christian Horner’s departure. The executive advisor simply responded:
“Max was told, and I prefer not to add anything further about it.”
He continued on to be asked if there is any truth behind Verstappen going to Mercedes and the alleged meeting between Verstappen and Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff.
“Max is free to meet with anyone he chooses.”
Speculation heated up when both parties were spotted in Sardinia at the same time. However there has been no confirmation of the two having official talks as they had separate holidays.
Asked if such speculation concerns him, Marko responded:
“We have a valid contract (until 2028), and we expect Max to stay with us.”
While Verstappen is contracted until 2028, the contract is known to have exit clauses. These could potentially be activated before he serves the end of the contract.
Horner exits a year after misconduct allegations surface
Red Bull Racing found themselves under fire for the past year. The shift from the F1 2023 season has been massive. The team went from winning 21 out of 22 races that season, to only having 2 victories thus far during the 2025 season. The record-breaking performance of the team appeared to be on a downwards trend.
With the departure of key personnel such as Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, and now Christian Horner, the struggles the team have been facing find themselves under a spotlight. In early 2024, allegations of misconduct were made against Horner. Additionally, a Google Drive folder, allegedly filled with private messages leaked and spread on the internet. The female Red Bull employee brought the allegations to light. While the initial investigation was dismissed, the employee appealed the case. After the appeal, the complaint was investigated by an external barrister, however it was not upheld.
Despite the dismissal of the appeal, the speculation surrounding the team principle did not disappear. The allegations of inappropriate behavior spiked tensions between Horner and Red Bull’s star driver, Max Verstappen’s father. Jos Verstappen made it clear that the allegations against Horner caused problems for the team. Even mentioning that the former team principle would cause the team to be “torn apart”. While the relationship between the two looked icy. The rumors regarding if a change in leadership was requested by the Verstappen camp have been swirling. The four-time world champion’s decision to stay or leave will likely determine the public perception of the reasons for Horner’s dismissal.
With the recent termination of Horner’s position, the speculation whether there were tensions within the team are once again resurfacing. With declining performance, the loss of important figures, and the Horner allegations, things do not seem bright for the Red Bull team.
