F1 Power Struggle: Marko Confirms 'Truce' with Horner

Helmut Marko confirms a truce with Christian Horner, signaling a temporary peace amid Red Bull’s internal conflicts.

Dr. Helmut Marko stated that the ongoing power struggle between Red Bull GmbH (in Austria) and Christian Horner has at least alleviated public tension.

Marko, the F1 consultant for the energy drink brand, who is directly contracted with Red Bull GmbH, will be notably absent in Montreal.

However, he says it’s not because there are still efforts to sideline or oust him, but because the State of Styria is awarding him a prize for his services to the region.

“But it’s not much use since I’m not going to the opera ball!”

Marko feels it is crucial to manage the internal turmoil and scandal that have marred the start of the 2024 season.

Nothing is completely resolved, but “I’ve reached a truce,” reveals Marko when asked about the conflict with team boss, Christian Horner.

A truce obviously does not mean the end of the war, but what is more important in Marko’s mind is that Red Bull, which has dominated the entire era of ground effect regulations from 2022 to date, is now seriously challenged by Ferrari and McLaren.

“We lost the dominance in the first three races. The competition has caught up during the third year of the current regulation by copying some things and even improving them.”

“There’s not much room left for innovation. But that’s just a logical evolution.”

The difficulty of the RB20 in managing bumps and aggressive curbs became painfully evident for Red Bull at the last race in Monaco.

“Ferrari is better in this regard and they are also better in terms of top speed. The fact is we are not going to Canada as favorites.”

“But Red Bull does not give up. We will combine all our forces. Even if we are no longer dominant, we want to get the most out of it and aim for the world championship title.”

Finally, Marko hinted that measures were underway at the Formula 1 level to prevent a repeat of the painfully slow and processional Monaco GP that recently took place.

“It was a farce,” he admits, “but they are already considering a new layout, there is no question of losing this race. Especially because the atmosphere in Monte-Carlo is simply incomparable.”