Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is well-known for his straightforwardness and strictness in the paddock. This is because the Austrian does not shy away from criticizing his rivals or even his drivers. While some believe that Marko’s behavior could be a problem for Red Bull, team principal Christian Horner believes his compatriot is a “nightmare” for his side’s public relations unit.
Horner believes that Red Bull’s communication department usually has a massive task on its hands when Marko goes “rogue.” He explained his point by describing how Marko is the perfect man for the media as he helps them receive headlines for their stories and, in the process, needs his side to tone down his remarks.
The same is evident as the Austrian often leaves no stone unturned when he gets to criticizing his rivals or his own drivers. For example, Marko recently sacked Nyck de Vries and slammed him with harsh words for not satisfying AlphaTauri’s goals this year. For this reason, Horner believes that Marko can be a “nightmare” for Red Bull’s public relations team.
Christian Horner sympathizes with Red Bull’s public relations team
Christian Horner recently appeared on ESPN’s Unlapped show, where the interviewers asked him to describe how the team finds it to work with Helmut Marko. The 49-year-old began his remarks by praising the Austrian for having spotted young talented and recruited them for Red Bull.
After stating the same, Horner admitted that while Marko is “tough” with the younger drivers, he believes it is par for the course regarding F1. Horner believes that if “they can’t survive Helmet, they’ll never survive Formula 1“.
However, Horner sympathized with his side’s public relations team. “He is a communication manager’s nightmare. So when Helmut goes rogue, you guys only need to prod him, and you will get a headline,” the Red Bull team principal said with a laugh.
When Horner was referring to Marko going “rogue,” he suggested the times when the Austrian ruthlessly slams his drivers when they do not perform. One of the apparent names is undoubtedly Nyck de Vries, who Marko fired even before the halfway point of this season.
However, it is pertinent to note that the Dutchman is not the only driver who received this treatment. Previously, the 80-year-old had also given a similar harsh treatment to the likes of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon.
Moreover, it is pertinent to note that not just the drivers who come under fire are afraid of Marko but also those who deliver results consistently. For example, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen once explained how they fear picking up Marko’s phone call.
Helmut Marko helps Red Bull spot young talent
Helmut Marko has been a critical figure in Red Bull as he has trained most drivers who have made it to the senior team. Even though the 80-year-old is ruthless in his operation, he has the knack of turning young talent into top F1 racers.
Among the many he has trained, the top names are undoubtedly four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and current champion Max Verstappen. Besides these drivers, he has also trained Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and Pierre Gasly, to name a few.
