Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, both stalwarts at Red Bull since the team’s inception, have reportedly called a truce. Marko recently revealed that Red Bull will be combining all its forces to continue their race-winning streak this season.
The announcement of a truce follows an internal investigation into Horner for alleged inappropriate behavior, which was dismissed earlier this year. Despite this, rumors of a power struggle between the two persisted, although Horner had publicly denied any fallout.
Marko clarified their relationship, stating that neither of them report to each other within the Red Bull organization. While Horner serves as the team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, Marko reports directly to Red Bull GmbH as a senior advisor.
Speculation about Marko’s future with the team had surfaced earlier in the season. However, he confirmed that he will continue in his current role. With rivals closing in, both Horner and Marko are reportedly working closely to keep Red Bull at the top.
“We have reached a truce,” Marko told Austrian publication Kronen Zeitung. “We will combine all our forces. Even if we are no longer superior, we want to win. But we definitely want to get the maximum out of it and look towards the World Championship title.”
Reflecting on the season so far, Marko acknowledged that Red Bull’s rivals, including McLaren and Ferrari, are catching up. He mentioned that teams have copied elements of Red Bull’s designs, which is expected at this stage of the regulation cycle. “We have lost the dominance of the first three races. The competition has caught up in the third year of the current regulations, copied and even improved some things. There is not much room left for innovation. This is simply a logical development, nothing shameful,” he explained.
Red Bull’s struggle to match Ferrari and McLaren in Monaco was noted, with Marko agreeing with Max Verstappen’s assessment that the RB20 has issues with kerb riding. Considering the similar kerb profiles in Canada, he does not see Red Bull as the favorites there. “Ferrari is better there, also in terms of top speed,” Marko said. “The fact is, we’re not going to Canada as favourites.”
The news of the truce and the current challenges faced by Red Bull mark an intriguing phase in the ongoing Formula 1 season. With significant competition from McLaren and Ferrari, it remains to be seen how the cooperation between Marko and Horner will impact Red Bull’s performance.
Source: Planetf1
