‘Dirty games were played’: Marko exposes Horner’s lies at Red Bull

In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, where alliances shift faster than a pit stop and betrayals lurk in every shadow, Helmut Marko has finally pulled back the curtain on the shadowy machinations that nearly tore Red Bull Racing apart.

The 82-year-old Austrian veteran, a cornerstone of the team since its 2005 founding, has broken his silence on the deceitful plots orchestrated by former team principal Christian Horner.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Dutch daily De Limburger, Marko paints a picture of a power grab built on a foundation of fabrications, forcing him into a defensive battle to safeguard the interest of Red Bull’s Austrian shareholders.

The Seeds of Deception: Horner's Calculated Moves

What began as a seemingly unbreakable partnership devolved into a clandestine war of whispers and lies. Marko recounts how Horner, sensing vulnerability after the passing in October 2022 of Red Bull's founder Dietrich Mateschitz, began maneuvering for control.

"I remember a party in 2022 ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. Didi was there, but not in good health. Christian came up to me and said, ‘He won’t make it to the end of the year,’" Marko revealed.

From that chilling prediction, Horner allegedly cozied up to major shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya, positioning himself as the inevitable successor when Mateschitz passed later that year. But Marko wasn't about to let the empire slip away.

"From that moment on, he started getting close to Chalerm Yoovidhya. When Didi later passed away that year, Horner did everything he could to take control with Yoovidhya’s support. I did everything on behalf of ‘Austria’ to prevent that," he explained.

The conflict, Marko insists, was never personal but a clash of visions: Austria's oversight versus Horner's bid for unchecked authority.

"Together with Didi, I founded Red Bull Racing in 2005,” he continued. “We appointed Horner as team principal, and I was there as a supervisor. The power was always in Austria — we decided."

The intrigue deepened with a barrage of underhanded tactics. Marko alleges Horner fabricated damaging rumors to undermine him, including a false claim during Sergio Pérez’s tenure that Marko had disparaged Mexicans as less focused than Dutch or German drivers.

"Do you remember when, during Sergio Pérez’s time, it was claimed that I had said Mexicans were less focused than Dutch or German people? That was fabricated — possibly by them," Marko charged.

Another lie surfaced in 2024, accusing Marko of spreading panic about lagging engine development and risking the Ford partnership.

"Just like the rumour that I supposedly spread in 2024 that our engine development was behind schedule and that we’d lose Ford as a partner. I never said that. Horner wanted to use it to suspend me. Because Max defended me in Jeddah, it didn’t happen."

A Battle Won, But at What Cost? The Lies Unravel

As the deceptions piled up, Marko's camp fought back by exposing the falsehoods to Yoovidhya family.

"More and more often, we were able to prove that Horner was lying about all sorts of things," he stated. "Once Chalerm realised that too, he came to his senses," Marko explained, marking the turning point that led to Horner's ousting last summer.

Yet victory came laced with regret. Marko believes the turmoil exacted a heavy toll on the track, costing Max Verstappen a fifth consecutive world title in 2025.

“We had to act because performance on track was falling behind. If we had done it earlier, we would have turned things around sooner this year and Max would have been world champion – I am absolutely convinced of that.

“But those final years with Horner were unpleasant. Dirty games were played," he lamented.

• Read also: Marko reflects on most ‘intense and intimate’ bond with Verstappen

Dismissing the official press release about his departure – which cited the missed championship as a key factor – Marko called it "full of nonsense."

"I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I didn’t read that press release full of nonsense," he said. "Let’s just say that a lot changed within the team in a short period of time.

“You think you know people well, but in the end that turns out not to be the case… No, I really won’t say more than that. And that fifth title wouldn’t have changed anything.

“It was my ultimate dream to win five in a row with Verstappen, the best driver we’ve ever had. But it wasn’t meant to be, even though I had good hopes going into the final race."

A $10 Million 'Golden Handshake' Into Retirement

Marko’s exit will not be a modest one. According to a report from Germany’s Bild, Red Bull will pay out his full 2026 salary as part of a “golden handshake” — a package believed to be worth around €10 million.

It is a final nod to a figure who helped build Red Bull Racing from nothing, shaped its driver dynasty, and who believes he spent his final years not chasing glory, but fighting deception from within.

Now, with his mission complete, Helmut Marko steps away from Formula 1 wealthy, vindicated, and unapologetically outspoken.

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