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Helmut Marko has dismissed rumors of him leaving Red Bull after a meeting with top executives from the brand. The Austrian surprised everyone yesterday when he announced that he might not be going to Australia. At the same time, rumors of his suspension gained momentum as questions were raised about his involvement in the leaks to the media.
All of this began in early February, when it was announced that Red Bull boss Christian Horner was being investigated for cross-border behavior. The complaint against Horner has been thrown out now, and attention seems to have shifted away from the team principal.
Yesterday, it was reported that the person who accused the Red Bull boss had been suspended from the team. What followed was Helmut Marko revealing that he might be leaving as well. With Red Bull Gmbh managing director Oliver Mintzlaff making an appearance in the F1 paddock to meet the advisor, it appears that things have calmed down a bit.
Most importantly, in what appeared to be an impending threat of a suspension for Helmut Marko has been abated.
Right now, that's not the case, and as the Austrian told Viaplay, he'll be in Melbourne for the next race. However, he did mention that the atmosphere within Red Bull needs to be calmer than it currently is.
"It was a good meeting. I will be in Melbourne. All these rumours, they were not official, but it was good to clear the situation. But in the end, like Jos said, we need some more peace in the team because we are trying to win the championship. That is quite a hard job. There will be circuits where we are not so super or not winning. That's a goal, a fourth title for Max,"
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko thanks Max Verstappen for vocal support
Helmut Marko thanked Max Verstappen for the vocal support he gave the Austrian as soon as he learned about the rumors of a suspension.
Post-qualifying, there were rumors of Marko possibly being suspended for leaking information to multiple publications. Following that, Verstappen said that his presence on the team relies on Marko being there too.
Marko thanked Max for his support and saidsaid (via Viaplay):
"There are not so many people who have such a strong character and, as you said, loyalty. I am proud and thankful for his words."
For the moment, the team has not reached a point of disintegration, and that is certainly a good thing. The next two weeks are going to be crucial for Red Bull as it tries to build things back up.
