Marko's fear: if Horner stays, via Verstappen, Newey and Ford

by VALERIO BARRETTA

Horner-Verstappen, can there be coexistence?

As expected, the scandal involved Chris Horner it was just part of a bigger picture, which sees the Red Bull team principal in an internal power battle within the team. The sides, in broad terms, are clear: the Briton is supported by Red Bull owner Chalerm Yoovidhya (the only reason why it still has its place on the wall), on the other side is the Austrian “clan”. (Helmut Marko, Mark Mateschitz, Oliver Mintzlaff), who certainly has his family on his side Verstappen and – perhaps – also Adrian Newey. In short, the Austrians seem to be in the majority, but Horner has the most important ally.

Winning this clash is perhaps more important for the Austrians than for Horner. The affair has taken on such importance that for Marko it becomes essential to get rid of the team principal: if Horner remained in his place, in fact, Jos Verstappen would have his bags packed and would also pack them for his son Max (a not insignificant detail); from what the German newspaper suggests Cars, Motor and Sport, Ford toowho expressed many concerns about the Horner case, she would not be happy with the team principal's stay; and the same should be said of Newey, initially an ally of Horner and then increasingly distant from the British. In short, for Marko the point is no longer to risk losing Horner, but to hold onto a trio of aces without which the path to 2026 would be impossible.

Verstappen senior, who oversaw every aspect of his son's career, had a heated argument with Horner in Bahrain and in an interview with Daily Mail he said that the team principal must leave, otherwise the team will implode. The Dutch imposed a either-or and had his photo taken with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. Had the two wanted to keep the meeting hidden so as not to give rise to speculation about Verstappen at Brackley, they would certainly have found a way to talk in secret. This was not the case.

Verstappen in Mercedes, is it possible?

The Hamilton-Ferrari case taught once and for all that you should never take anything for granted in Formula 1. The Briton had a contract with Mercedes until 2025 and had no problem saying yes when Maranello offered him a seat on the red one. Wolff went on the attack and in Bahrain he let slip aNothing is impossible” in response to a scenario that would be sensational. But now it risks becoming thinkable.