Over the past few days, surprising reports have emerged claiming that there is a possibility that both Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen could move to Mercedes in the near future. Amid such rumors, even Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained how he would like to have both Marko and Verstappen on his side. However, the 80-year-old has now crushed his compatriot’s hopes of signing both him and the Dutchman together at Mercedes.
When quizzed about the ongoing speculations surrounding his future, Marko replied (as quoted by Soymotor.com), “At the moment, we are not going to go to Mercedes together“. The rumors of there being a possibility that Mercedes could sign Marko arose after the Austrian himself claimed that Red Bull could suspend him for his alleged involvement in the ongoing Christian Horner saga.
As a result of Marko’s claims, he also got the hopes of Toto Wolff high to sign him. The 52-year-old further got a boost when even Max Verstappen pledged his loyalty towards Marko. The Dutchman explained how it would be difficult for him to stay at Red Bull if Marko were to leave.
While speculations have been rampant about Verstappen’s future, Christian Horner has revealed that he would allow the 26-year-old to leave (if he wanted to) despite the three-time champion having a contract until the end of the 2028 season. The turmoil surrounding Red Bull at the moment could indeed have a huge role in influencing Verstappen’s decision.
What is the latest update on the ongoing Christian Horner saga?
A few weeks ago, an independent barrister hired by Red Bull GmbH dismissed the grievance against Christian Horner after a female employee had made allegations of “inappropriate behavior” towards her. Soon after the barrister made the decision, reports emerged that both Horner and Red Bull together had paid the employee a $1.1 million severance fee to close the case permanently.
All the while the investigation against Horner continued, several reports emerged about how some of the other top officials of Red Bull Racing could leave because of the ongoing turmoil at the team. One such name was Adrian Newey.
However, much to the delight of Red Bull’s fans, the 65-year-old has reiterated his commitment to the team’s future goals. Losing Newey would have indeed been a huge loss to the Milton Keynes-based outfit, who have won a total of six Constructors’ Championships thanks to all the cars he has helped design.
