Marko undecided on future F1 role amid Red Bull turmoil

Dr Helmut Marko has declared he won't make a decision about his next steps in Formula 1 "until the time comes."

In spite of a leadership upheaval and the scandal involving Christian Horner, Red Bull managed to retain its competitive edge as the 2024 season kicked off.

Nevertheless, Adrian Newey, the team's esteemed technical mastermind, has now decreased his role and plans to depart entirely by early next year.

During this period, Red Bull has encountered challenges at several circuits, where they have found themselves challenged or outpaced by Ferrari or McLaren.

Addressing the internal discord within the team, Marko mentioned to Osterreich newspaper: "Max (Verstappen) has disengaged himself from it and is concentrating on racing. He's doing a very good job of that."

However, Marko, at 81, acknowledges the ongoing drama with team principal Horner, as a female staff member is currently still involved in an internal grievance procedure.

"It is something that we have to put aside," Marko stressed, "especially in a situation where we are so challenged as a team technically. We need everyone to pull together."

While Marko's current contract with Red Bull GmbH - not the F1 team - extends until 2026, he is not dismissing the possibility of joining another team in the future, as Toto Wolff from Mercedes has shown interest in both Marko and his protégé Verstappen.

"But at the moment everything is focused on Red Bull and Max Verstappen," Marko emphasized.

Former Red Bull driver Christijan Albers, now a commentator who has been openly critical of Horner during the 2024 power struggle, recounted a confrontation with Horner at Monaco.

"At the beginning he had the feeling that he could intimidate me," Albers shared with De Telegraaf. "That didn't quite work.

"I said to him 'You can't make your problem my problem'. But I also said the English press takes bits from wherever they can find quotes and blows them up. Eventually it was over, I asked him a question on the grid, and it was all fine," Albers concluded.