Helmut Marko has thanked former Red Bull colleague Christian Horner for his efforts after the ex-team principal was sacked on Wednesday. The Austrian advisor also U-turned on his Drivers’ Championship title fight position, just days after declaring the battle over. Horner’s exit came as a surprise to many, despite a challenging first half of the 2025 campaign.
The six-time constructors’ champions are nearly 300 points behind leaders McLaren heading into the second half of the year, with Max Verstappen’s hopes of a fifth consecutive crown in tatters after two wins in the first 12 Grands Prix. With Verstappen’s future now in doubt amid interest from Mercedes, and with the team showing no signs of resurrection, Oliver Mintzlaff and Chalerm Yoovidhya made the decision to part ways with Horner after 20 years in his team principal role.
“Christian and I have worked together very successfully for over 20 years, both in Formula One and in Formula 3000,” Marko said in reaction to the news. “I would like to sincerely thank Christian for that. During this time, we were able to celebrate an incredible number of outstanding achievements.
“We helped develop two World Drivers’ Champions and several Grand Prix winners. That has always been – and still is – the Red Bull way. As for the current sporting situation: there are still 12 races to go, and we will continue to fight for the Drivers’ Championship as long as it’s mathematically possible.”
Marko’s final declaration was an interesting comment and marks a U-turn on his position after the British Grand Prix. After Verstappen finished fifth with team-mate Yuki Tsunoda last of the finishers, the Austrian threw in the towel.
“The world championship is over,” the 82-year-old told OE24. “It’s now just between Norris and Piastri, although Norris has made an impressive comeback with two sensational races.”
If Marko and new team principal Laurent Mekies hope to resurrect Verstappen’s Drivers’ Championship dream, they will need to bring upgrades and set-up improvements to the RB21. The team’s new floor had a limited impact at Silverstone, and a skinny rear wing gamble left the Dutchman floundering in the wet conditions.
Heading into the Belgian Grand Prix, which is a secondary home race for Verstappen, the 27-year-old trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 69 points. He must also worry about Lando Norris, who, after a slow start to the year, has found his stride, recording back-to-back race victories.