Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko has admitted he could be suspended as the team’s off-track problems continue to rumble on.
The start to the new Formula 1 season has been overshadowed by allegations of inappropriate behaviour that have been levelled against Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner by a colleague.
The 50-year-old was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent investigation ahead of last week’s Bahrain Grand Prix, but alleged messages between Horner and his colleague were leaked to the media.
Horner has repeatedly denied the accusations, but Max Verstappen’s father Jos has accused him of “playing the victim” and called for him to step down. And in the latest twist to the story, influential advisor Marko has revealed he could face disciplinary action.
When asked by Austrian broadcaster ORF about a rumour he could be suspended ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix later this month, Marko admitted that the “theoretical possibility exists”. He said: “I’ll put it this way, it’s difficult to judge, or let’s put it this way, ultimately, I’ll decide for myself what I do.
“The theoretical possibility always exists. I think it’s such a complex issue. Again, we want peace in the team. This world championship will be difficult enough with 24 races and we have to concentrate on that.
“The most important thing is that we get back to the sporting side of things, and that the team concentrates on what is important. That’s working quite well at the moment.”
(Image: Kym Illman/Getty Images)
The 80-year-old was also asked about the future of Verstappen following his father’s comments, with reports also claiming he has a break clause in his contract that would allow him to leave Red Bull if Marko were to depart.
“Max is certainly the strongest asset that the team has,” Marko said. “There is no faster driver at the moment and if we were to lose him, it would be an incredible loss, because of course there are also an incredible number of mechanics, including engineers, who are all working incredibly hard for Max.
“I think it’s quite logical and clear that Max is the most important part of the team.” Mirror Sport have approached Red Bull for comment.
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This story first appeared on Radio Today