Although a few weeks have passed since Red Bull GmbH dismissed the grievance against Christian Horner, the saga has not yet ended. Over the past several days, rival team bosses such as Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and McLaren’s Zak Brown have demanded transparency. As the likes of Wolff and Brown continue to add pressure for more transparency, former F1 driver David Coulthard has claimed that the duo are just “stoking the fire” and are keen to take advantage of the ongoing turmoil at Red Bull Racing.
While speaking to Channel 4 (as quoted by Crash.net) Coulthard said, “There is a call from those who want to stoke the fire. There will be those who are looking for the good of the fanbase, to ask for more transparency. But it’s a private matter. We all have a right to privacy. If there was a case to answer, then we’d know about it”.
Although Horner hasn’t been declared guilty, such pressure from rival team bosses only creates more uncertainty and increases the turmoil at Red Bull Racing. Moreover, it’s not just rivals who are against Horner.
As per several reports, there is currently a power struggle that is going on at Red Bull. Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, has already raised concerns about the presence of Horner in the Red Bull team.
The 52-year-old believes that the team should get rid of Horner as the Briton is damaging the image of the side. Moreover, some reports also claim that Helmet Marko had a role to play in damaging the reputation of Christian Horner.
As a result, there is a possibility that the team could suspend the Austrian. While all this uncertainty carries on at Red Bull, Toto Wolff is looking to take advantage of the situation by making some key signings.
Can Toto Wolff and Mercedes sign Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen?
Toto Wolff recently teased that Mercedes have an interest in signing Helmut Marko to replace the late Niki Lauda as the team’s new mentor. Moreover, since Max Verstappen himself has suggested that he is likely to follow Marko wherever he goes, Wolff also teased that his side could perhaps even sign the three-time world champion.
With Lewis Hamilton heading for Ferrari in 2025, Verstappen seems like the best replacement that Mercedes can get at the moment. Moreover, with F1 introducing new regulations in 2026, the possibility is even higher that the Dutchman may himself consider switching to the Silver Arrows, who have ample experience in producing powerful engines.
As for Christian Horner, his future continues to remain uncertain. The female employee, who first launched the allegations of “inappropriate behavior” against Horner, is now considering legal action after an independent barrister hired by Red Bull dismissed the grievance against the British boss.
A report from independent.co.uk claims that the employee is dissatisfied with the lack of support she has received from Red Bull. As a result, she has claimed that she has no option but to seek the legal route to receive justice.
