Marko suspended, Verstappen threatened: 'I won't race in Melbourne'

A detailed reconstruction

In the April 2024 issue of Business F1 Magazine, the English newspaper reported what happened in recent weeks at Red Bull. Obviously the news that the 'independent' lawyer who managed the internal investigation coincides with the top of the London legal pool that follows the Yoovidhya family is undoubtedly the most impactful, but the newspaper also reconstructed two other events that occurred make your way through the news of the track, that is, that of the suspensions of the accusing employee and Helmut Marko.

What happened

Acquittal received from internal investigation, between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Christian Horner remained in the Middle East, where met face to face with patron Chalerm Yoovidhya, majority shareholder of the company. In this conversation – according to what was reconstructed by Business F1 Magazine -, the Thai would have reassured the Austrian manager on the willingness to remain at his side”whatever happens“, considering it now “one of his men”. At the summit the two would plan the future of Red Bull Racing and also talk more generally about possible developments within Red Bull GmbH.

First of all Horner allegedly asked – and obtained – from Yoovidhya the suspension of the employee who had accused him. The team principal thus ordered the human resources manager to block the employee at the entrance to Milton Keynes, communicating the decision to her. On the morning of Monday 4 March, the woman found her HR manager and two security men waiting for her, who gave her her letter and rejected it.

Horner then went further, planning together with Yoovidhya the removal of the now unwelcome Helmut Marko. The Thai patron thus instructed Oliver Mintzlaff to send the suspension letter to the Austrian consultant, who would have been put on hold after Saudi Arabia and invited not to appear in Australia, a prelude to subsequent dismissal.

Verstappen's threat

At this point Helmut Marko went on the counterattack, meeting Jos and Max Verstappen and their manager Raymond Vermeulen. The topic of discussion is the now well-known 'Marko clause' in the Dutch champion's contract, inserted without Horner's knowledge.
At the start of the Jeddah weekend, Raymond Vermeulen “informed Horner that Verstappen would not race two weeks later in Melbourne if Marko was suspended“. The discussion would have taken place even before Marko's public statements to the press.

The Verstappen clan was not bluffing and Horner “Realizing he had gone too far, he called Yoovidhya in a panic.”. The majority shareholder contacted Mintzlaff – present in the Arab paddock – ordering him to withdraw the letter and reinstate Marko.