Marko rules out Vettel return, blames Horner for lost title

(GMM) The newly-departed Dr Helmut Marko (pictured with former Res Bull team boss Christian Horner) has firmly played down speculation that Sebastian Vettel could replace him at Red Bull, before launching his strongest attack yet on former team boss Christian Horner in a series of post-exit interviews.

Asked by Osterreich whether Vettel could take on a role at the team where he won four world championships, the 82-year-old was dismissive. “I rather doubt it,” he said. “He doesn’t have enough supporters. Especially with his – let’s say – anti-mobility stance, he would have a hard time.”

When it was suggested Vettel could continue to raise awareness for environmental causes at races in a new Red Bull role, Marko replied bluntly: “But that wouldn’t increase the drivers’ efficiency.”

Marko also rejected any idea of returning himself in an advisory role – and said recent criticism of Franz Tost’s commentary style also ruled him out of a job like that.

“What good would that do?” he asked, adding that he will nonetheless take great interest in Red Bull’s new Ford-backed engine project. “Even though everything involves a certain risk, you have to get your own engine running. The people working on it will manage it,” said the Austrian.

In separate interviews with De Telegraaf and De Limburger, Marko was far less restrained when discussing Horner and the internal power struggle that preceded his own departure.

“I don’t want to go into details, but I didn’t even read that bullsh*t press release,” Marko told De Telegraaf. “Let’s just say a lot has changed on the team in a short period of time. You think you know people well, but in the end, it turns out that’s completely wrong.”

Speaking to De Limburger, Marko directly accused Horner of undermining him and damaging Red Bull’s competitiveness. “Horner wanted to use it to suspend me, but because Max came into the picture in Jeddah, that didn’t happen,” he said, referring to Verstappen’s intervention after Marko was singled out for offensive comments.

“More often than not, we were able to prove that Horner was lying about everything, and once Chalerm Yoovidhya realized this too, he reconsidered his point of view.”

Marko insisted that decisive action on Horner came too late. “We had to do something because the on-track performance wasn’t there,” he said.

“If we had done it earlier, we would have been faster on the track this year and Max would have been world champion. I’m absolutely convinced of that.”

He also reiterated that controversial remarks attributed to him were faked. “That was made up,” Marko said of past allegations involving Sergio Perez’s nationality and lagging Ford-backed engine development. “I never said that,” he insisted.

Despite the acrimony, Marko stressed he is not stepping away from work altogether. “I’m not retired,” he said. “I’ve been in the office working since seven in the morning. There are enough projects,” added Marko, explaining that he is developing his hotel empire.

“I have no intention of slowing down and becoming lazy.”

As for Max Verstappen, Marko said their relationship no longer required paternal guidance. “Max is already an adult man,” he said. “I insist – Max is perfect, he doesn’t need anyone anymore.”