Max Verstappen, Helmut Marko, and Christian Horner engage in a conversation.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has said Max Verstappen “disengaged” himself of the off-track saga surrounding the team, after team principal Christian Horner was investigated following allegations of inappropriate behaviour by an employee.
The allegations against Horner were dismissed by Red Bull GmbH after an internal investigation concluded in February. Horner consistently denied the accusations. However, according to Marko, the case is still unresolved from a legal standpoint, to the best of his knowledge.
Helmut Marko issues Red Bull update as Max Verstappen ‘concentrates on racing’
The complainant chose to lodge an appeal after the results of the internal investigation were published, and was suspended on full pay by Red Bull while that process took place.
Verstappen’s future has become a topic of discussion within the team, to the extent that some are even debating his contractual obligations with Red Bull until 2028. Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, has expressed his desire to have Verstappen as his first choice to replace Lewis Hamilton in the upcoming season.
Despite facing numerous questions regarding the investigation this season, Marko commended the reigning World Champion for remaining unaffected by the subject matter.
“Max disengaged himself out of it and is concentrated on racing. So he did a very good job,” Marko told Austrian publication OE24.
According to the publication, Marko stated that as far as he knows, the issue between Horner and the Red Bull employee has not been resolved legally. However, the team’s motorsport advisor emphasized the need to set aside such matters, especially when facing significant challenges as a team. It is crucial for everyone to unite and contribute technically.
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Regarding Verstappen, he has chosen to publicly move on from the outcomes of the internal examination and instead focus on his performance on the race track. He has expressed that Red Bull’s parent company dealt with the situation appropriately during that period.
Back in March, at the Australian Grand Prix, he informed reporters that he did not have a desire to constantly be overly engaged in these types of matters.
I am ultimately responsible for driving and assessing the performance aspect, which is the main reason I was hired.
“Based on my understanding, the situation was appropriately addressed. I won’t delve into further specifics as I lack further information and it is also not my responsibility or role within the team to know.”
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