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F1 fans recently reacted to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff hinting at Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko's potential move to his team.
After Christian Horner's investigation at Red Bull, Helmut Marko is now under fire for allegedly leaking confidential information to the press about the Horner situation, and could be removed from the team.
Speaking to Sky Germany, Toto Wolff addressed Marko's potential departure from the Austrian-British team and said that he could be a mascot at Mercedes, taking the late Niki Lauda's role in the team.
“If the team loses Helmut, it would certainly be a loss for Red Bull and for the team. Helmut was - or is - our favorite enemy, but he is a real racer. We miss our mascot so that we could use Helmut. That's his age, but he doesn't have a red cap yet: we could give him one," he said.
Many fans were surprised to hear Toto Wolff hinting that the 80-year-old could join Mercedes in the future. One fan imagined a future where both personalities would team up against Christian Horner at Red Bull, while others also mentioned Max Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's replacement as a consequence.
Here are some of the reactions:
"Is he saying Marko can join Merc? if so imagine Marko and Toto teaming up against Horner...," one fan wrote.
Several fans were angry with Toto Wolff for comparing Helmut Marko to Niki Lauda. They also criticized him for labeling Lauda's position at Mercedes as a 'mascot'.
"Comparing Marko to Lauda is disrespectful," another fan exclaimed.
Helmut Marko gives his views on potentially being removed from Red Bull
After Christian Horner's investigation fiasco, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko finds himself in political chaos and hinted at his departure from the team.
Speaking to ORF, Marko admitted that the issue was quite complicated and that he could be suspended from the team as early as after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He added that he wanted the team to peacefully focus on the 2024 F1 season so that they could defend their world championship crown.
"I'll put it this way, it's difficult to judge, or let's put it this way, ultimately, I'll decide for myself what I do. The theoretical possibility always exists. I think it's such a complex issue. Again, we want peace in the team. This world championship will be difficult enough with 24 races and we have to concentrate on that," he said (via Autosport).
The report from Autosport also claimed that the Austrian would not be attending the 2024 F1 Australian GP on March 28.
