Christian Horner and Helmut Marko were at crossroads earlier this season that nearly saw Red Bull sacking the latter. Thanks to Max Verstappen and his father Jos’ public interference, that didn’t happen. Jos also brutally snubbed Horner out of the guestlist of a party that Marko got the invitation to.
The controversy surrounding Marko was at its peak between the Bahrain GP and Saudi Arabian GP earlier this year. Horner, the team principal received the green light from Red Bull’s Thai owners to suspend Marko. A letter from Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s GmbH’s Managing Director, containing details of Marko’s suspension was sent to the 81-year-old.
Max Verstappen threatens to quit Red Bull with Helmut Marko at risk of suspension https://t.co/oY7gmxygcS pic.twitter.com/YM5xqAz4nr
— The Independent (@Independent) March 9, 2024
At that point, Marko was in Dubai with Max Verstappen and his father Jos. They were celebrating Jos’ 52nd birthday but despite the Verstappens’ previous close ties to Horner, he wasn’t invited to the party, as per Business F1.
Marko, upon receiving that letter did not panic. He knew what he had to do, and that was gather the support of Max Verstappen, who had a secret clause in his contract that only they knew about.
Secret clause of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract that Christian Horner was unaware of
Verstappen has always been loyal to Marko. After the Saudi Arabian GP, he insisted that Marko’s rumored suspension would directly affect his presence at Red Bull. While that does sound far-fetched, Business F1 reports a secret clause in the Dutchman’s contract, in line with the same.
Max Verstappen, Helmut Marko, and his manager Raymond Vermeulen were aware of this, while Christian Horner wasn’t. Per the contract, Verstappen could leave Red Bull in the middle of the season with no financial penalties if Marko left. It gave the Austrian a huge advantage, and within days, the matter was resolved.
Red Bull and Horner couldn’t afford to lose a driver of Verstappen’s caliber midway through the season, especially since they remain on the brink of creating history together.
The rumors of Verstappen and Marko leaving, however, are far from over. Reports suggest that Mercedes is making a $160 million-a-year offer to Verstappen and that Marko could follow him to the Brackley-based outfit soon. If the duo does leave, it will be a huge blow for Red Bull, especially after losing Adrian Newey earlier this week.
