According to Max Verstappen, there is no power struggle between team boss Christian Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko at the Red Bull Formula 1 Team. The three-time world champion said this on Thursday in Austin, at a press conference in the run-up to the US Grand Prix.
“People try to invent this kind of nonsense, while the atmosphere within the team is very good,” Verstappen said. “Everyone knows what his role is.”
Horner denied rumors published by the British newspaper Mirror on Wednesday that he wanted to get rid of his chief advisor Marco. Marko was the man who brought Verstappen into Formula 1 at the age of 16. The 80-year-old Austrian was also a close associate of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who died last year. Marco has always had a huge influence on strategic decisions and race seat occupancy.
Verstappen continued: “Of course, the atmosphere here was sad last year when Dietrich died. We tried to preserve his legacy and build on it, because that is the reason for our success. That is why there are no changes in the future.” , who can continue to build records in Austin. If he wins, this will be his fifteenth win this season and will equal his Formula 1 record, which he set last year.
The signs are favourable, because the Dutchman has won the previous two editions of the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. “If you look at this season, the answer is yes,” Verstappen said when asked if he was the man to beat. “But it’s a weekend full of sprint racing, so we only have one free practice to properly prepare the car for qualifying and the races. So it’s difficult to say more about that now.”
With his 50th Grand Prix victory, Verstappen will be one victory away from Frenchman Alain Prost in the all-time world rankings next weekend. “That’s a nice number,” Limberger said. “I never thought we would get this far. Now that we have, it’s only natural that we want to continue.”
