Verstappen Could Have Retained F1 Championship If Horner Had Departed Red Bull Sooner, Says Marko

Helmut Marko, the outgoing advisor for Red Bull, believes Max Verstappen could have clinched the Formula One drivers' championship if Christian Horner had been removed earlier in the season. Marko announced

his departure from the team after a 20-year tenure, coinciding with Horner's dismissal in July following a challenging start to the season.

Horner's exit was linked to performance issues, according to Marko. At that time, Verstappen had only secured two wins out of 12 races. However, after Horner's departure, Verstappen managed to win six out of the next 12 races. Despite this late surge, he narrowly missed a fifth consecutive world title by just two points to McLaren's Lando Norris.

Marko expressed his belief that Horner's presence hindered Red Bull's early performance in 2025. He told De Limburger that acting sooner could have put the team back on track earlier. "We had to act because performance on track was falling behind," Marko stated. "And if we had done it earlier, we would have got things back on track sooner and Max Verstappen would have been world champion this year. "

The relationship between Horner and Verstappen reportedly deteriorated significantly. There were even rumours suggesting Verstappen considered moving to Mercedes due to this strained relationship. This tension was part of what led to Horner's eventual dismissal from his role as team principal and chief executive.

Horner faced accusations of sexual harassment and controlling behaviour by a female employee last year. An internal investigation cleared him of these allegations, but they added strain within the team dynamics. Additionally, Marko accused Horner of spreading negative stories about him in the media during their final years working together.

"Those final years with Horner were not pleasant," Marko said. "Dirty games were being played. " He cited instances where he was falsely accused of making derogatory remarks about Mexicans or spreading misinformation about engine development delays.

All eyes on '26 #F1 || #RedBullRacing pic.twitter.com/AIXSPQ4zIi

Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) December 15, 2025

The internal conflicts at Red Bull highlight how off-track issues can impact on-track performance. Despite these challenges, Verstappen showed resilience by winning six races in the latter part of the season. His efforts kept him in contention for another world title until the very end.

As Red Bull looks towards future seasons, including significant changes expected in 2026, resolving internal dynamics will be crucial for maintaining competitive performance on track.