Schumacher: Marko wrong to air Red Bull’s ‘dirty laundry’

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has little patience for post-exit score-settling – and he’s made that abundantly clear in his assessment of Helmut Marko’s final act at Red Bull.

While acknowledging the truth behind many of Marko’s criticisms of Christian Horner, Schumacher believes the outgoing Red Bull motorsport advisor chose the wrong moment, and the wrong manner, to air grievances that could – and should – have been addressed years earlier.

Marko’s departure at the end of the 2025 season closed a 20-plus-year chapter at Red Bull, one defined by extraordinary success in driver development and world championships.

But instead of a quiet farewell, the 82-year-old left scorched earth behind him, publicly denouncing Red Bull’s official statement as “full of nonsense” and accusing Horner of “dirty games” during his final months in charge.

An Early Missed Opportunity to Fire Horner

The Sky Sports Germany consultant didn’t deny the existence of a massive power struggle inside Red Bull – but he was quick to point out that Marko had far more power in the past than he now lets on.

"It was clear: there were two camps," Schumacher said.

"But as much as I like Helmut, I have to remind him that even during Dietrich Mateschitz's lifetime, he had the chance to sack Horner. Back then, the two were very, very close and had united around a particular cause.

"In fact, they were actually planning to do a big deal together. I won't say which one now, that wouldn't be entirely fair, but Marko knows exactly what I mean.

"At the time, Mateschitz already wanted to get rid of Horner, because he did not consider him loyal. That didn't sit well with Mateschitz either."

For Schumacher, that history matters. Marko’s current claims, he argues, ring hollow when set against the inaction of those earlier years – when Red Bull’s founder was still alive and decisive intervention was possible.

Power Lost – And Laundry Aired

Schumacher believes the balance of power shifted irrevocably after Mateschitz’s death, leaving Marko sidelined as Horner consolidated his position with the Thai ownership faction.

"Especially after Mateschitz had died and Horner, thanks to the Thai shareholder with whom he had a very good relationship and which he had deliberately built up, got such a strong position, the Red Bull side from Salzburg, and also Marko, were somewhat powerless,” he explained.

"That's exactly why I have to say: he's right, but it's also a bit of hanging out dirty laundry that he himself could have prevented. That's just the situation now."

That, Schumacher suggests, is the heart of the issue. Marko may be correct in his diagnosis of Red Bull’s internal decay — but by voicing it only after losing influence, he risks looking vindictive rather than principled.

The former Grand Prix driver also addressed Horner’s side of the fallout, noting the former team boss’ silence since receiving a reported £52 million payoff following his dismissal in July.

"He obviously had great ambitions that reached deep into the top of the group, thanks in part to the strong position of the Thai side within the company," Schumacher said.

"Those have now obviously been rewarded with a princely sum. That is also why I think Horner has basically entered into an obligation of silence."

Right Message, Wrong Moment

While Schumacher criticised Marko’s timing, he didn’t absolve Horner of responsibility for Red Bull’s internal implosion — nor did he deny the substance of Marko’s claims.

"I also believe that the Red Bull side in Salzburg as a whole is not really happy with Marko's statements," the German explained.

"But one has to agree with Marko: the team was a disaster. It fell apart, it lost an awful lot of people, and that solely because of Horner and the way he operated. At least that's how it was told internally.

"The image was: it was him [Horner], he had achieved everything, and he didn't need anyone else. That cost Red Bull a lot of good people. The big problem was just that nobody wanted to come anymore. It took a long time for Red Bull to solve this, and that too in consultation with the Thai side."

Yet for Schumacher, truth alone isn’t enough.

"So yes, Marko is right. Personally, I would have preferred it if he had said this when he was still there, when he was still in office and with dignity. And then also in a calm way, without controversy. This afterthought is actually not very neat."

In Schumacher’s view, Marko’s legacy didn’t need this ending. But by choosing to speak only after the power was gone, he turned a reckoning into a recklessness — and stained his own exit in the process.

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