Helmut Marko Blasts Christian Horner And Accuses Him Of "Dirty Games"

To say 2025 was an easy season for Red Bull would not be further from the truth.

Coming off the back of a 2024 season which saw their star driver Max Verstappen winning his fourth Drivers' Championship, the Dutchman was not able to repeat in 2025, losing out to McLaren's Lando Norris in the final Grand Prix of the year.

This marked the first season since 2020 that neither a Red Bull driver nor Red Bull itself was victors in the driver or constructor category, and the team's situation was worsened by the mid-season departure of Christian Horner.

Other key figures left, like chief engineer Adrian Newey, who recently took up the role of team principal at Aston Martin, while veteran advisor to the team, Helmut Marko, left not long after the 2025 season concluded and has not been afraid to speak his mind on the team's struggles since.

Helmut Marko Slams Horner, Blames Him For Max Verstappen's 2025 Performance

Max Verstappen has won four successive championships in F1, from 2021 to 2024. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In a shocking revelation to Dutch news outlet De Limburger, Helmut Marko was as honest as can be regarding how Red Bull's indecision regarding removing Christian Horner as team principal negatively affected the team.

"And if we had [got rid of Horner earlier], we would have got things back on track sooner and Max Verstappen would have been world champion this year. I am absolutely convinced of that... We had to act because performance on track was falling behind."
Marko on Verstappen's title loss

Horner leaving Red Bull was down to a multitude of factors. Not only was Red Bull fourth in the championship at the time of his departure in July, but key personnel leaving throughout 2024 and 2025 also affected Horner's stature at the team and relationships among some of Red Bull's key players.

Christian Horner was team principal of Red Bull for twenty years, from 2005 to 2025. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Marko claimed that Horner intentionally tried to sabotage him at numerous points, hinting that the 52-year-old wanted him at least temporarily gone from the team.

"You think you know people well, but in the end that turns out not to be the case... those final years with Horner were not pleasant... dirty games were being played.

"Do you remember when it was claimed that I said Mexicans were less focused than Dutch or German people during Sergio Perez's time? That was fabricated - possibly by [Horner's camp within Red Bull]... Horner wanted to use it to have me suspended.
Marko on Horner

One of Marko's final statements displayed just how much unrest still remains at Red Bull, stating that he did not even bother to read the press release about him stepping down from his role, with the 82-year-old calling what was published 'nonsense.'

"Let's just say that a lot has changed at the team in a short period of time. You think you know people well, but in the end that turns out not to be the case... I really won't say more."
Marko on the current Red Bull team

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