Horner Under Fire: Red Bull's Leadership Test

Marko challenges Horner to assert his leadership at Red Bull, signaling a crucial phase for the team.

Dr. Helmut Marko has also put pressure on his director at Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, to reverse Red Bull’s decline in F1.

After winning seven of the first ten races of 2024, Red Bull has faltered in the last five events, with Max Verstappen winning none and Sergio Perez continuing to struggle to consistently regain his top form.

This jeopardizes the constructors’ crown, with McLaren just 30 points behind and a considerably faster car.

Horner was reluctant to sound the alarm at Zandvoort and insists that Red Bull can solve the problem. However, Max Verstappen declared at Monza that he no longer has his 4th title in his hands.

The consultant, Helmut Marko, agrees with his driver, and all eyes are now on Horner.

“Horner must demonstrate his leadership qualities now. Sugarcoating things won’t help us in this situation.”

“But Horner has also acknowledged mistakes. We’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere in terms of car balance. But we’re not alone—it’s happened to Ferrari and Mercedes too.”

“Only McLaren has been spared; every upgrade has worked for them.”

“We are self-critical, but we have many good people who can turn the situation around.”

“The team has worked hard to find the best setup and balance for this traditional track. Of course, we have a tough job ahead of us.”

“I think it will be very tight between McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, and us. One thing is for sure: we won’t be beaten as clearly as we were recently in the Netherlands.”

A much more conventional speech than the one Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, gave last week, with a direct attack on Horner.

“Jos is Jos. He’s just a very emotional guy and made his statements without proper analysis. But that shouldn’t be overestimated. We’ve had some unfortunate results recently and have sometimes been beaten below our potential.”

“At Zandvoort, we had the wrong settings, but of course. We clearly feel the pressure, we need to improve, and the updates must take effect.”