Marko admits Horner was 'not a fan' of de Vries

©AlphaTauri

Helmut Marko has revealed that Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was not in favour of recruiting Nyck de Vries to race alongside Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri.

De Vries' remarkable one-off with Williams at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza last year, when the Dutchman finished ninth on his F1 debut, put him on Red Bull's radar as a potential replacement for Alpine-bound's Pierre Gasly.

But while Marko believed that de Vries' performance and track record warranted a full-time promotion to F1, Horner was not on the same page as the Red Bull motorsport boss.

The Austrian revealed the difference in opinion between Horner and himself on the latest Inside Line F1 podcast, when asked if he ever disagrees with the RBR team boss.

"Not often, but sometimes we do. The last one... I would say de Vries," replied Marko.

"Basically it's AlphaTauri, but we're a big family and we get opinions. He [Horner] was not a fan of de Vries.

"I would say at the moment it looks like he was right."

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Indeed, de Vries has so far endured a challenging maiden season among F1's elite, having never qualified or finished a race higher than 12th.

Marko also confessed that Mick Schumacher was the first choice of AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost. However, the young German driver's affiliation at the time with Ferrari was a deterrent.

"Franz Tost wanted Mick Schumacher, but Mick was with Ferrari Academy for his whole career," said Marko who also believed that de Vries' rookie status was more in line with AlphaTauri's philosophy of mentoring young drivers.

"Basically, AlphaTauri is a junior team," added Marko. "De Vries is different to Schumacher in that he had just one race, very successful in Monza, so he could fit into our philosophy."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.