AUSTIN.- The former advisor of Red Bull, Helmut Markolaunched this Thursday a harsh attack against the former team director, Christian Horner, and described his new memoirs as a “collection of falsehoods.”
The 83-year-old Austrian, who was a prominent figure in the team, stated that it was “a shame” that the book had been published on October 22, the day the founder of Red Bull died. Dieter Mateschitzin 2022.
“That is a collection of falsehoods,” he told Sky Sports Germany. “I don’t even want to get into that level of discussion. Especially after the huge severance pay he received, you would expect some loyalty.”
Horner, who led Red Bull to eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ titles, was removed as team principal in July 2025, almost a year and a half after a co-worker accused him of “inappropriate behavior.”
The Englishman was twice acquitted of the accusations by the team’s parent company. Formula 1, Red Bull GmbHand his wife, the former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwellsupported him at all times.
However, there were rumblings of discontent within the team, with several high-profile casualties, while on-track results worsened.
Horner, 52, was officially fired in September 2025 with a large severance package estimated at the equivalent of $130 million.
Marko further stated that Horner should have shown more loyalty. He had previously said that many of the former director’s statements contained in the book were not true.
“Pretty brutal”
Horner, for his part, has accused Marko of having influenced his dismissal shortly after his ex-partner, the mother of his daughter, died of cancer.
He also claims that the former advisor did not express his condolences to him, a claim that the Austrian flatly denied.
“The only thing I want to clarify is that I even sent my condolences in writing for his ex-partner, who died of cancer,” Marko said in another interview with the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.
“That’s the only thing that matters to me,” he added.
The two worked together at Red Bull for more than 20 years.
Horner said this Thursday at the conference Autosport Business Exchange held in New York that his departure from Red Bull was “quite sudden and quite brutal.” He stated that he now reflects with pride on his achievements.
“I’m very proud of what we all did there and I feel privileged to have worked with some incredible drivers,” he said.
He also revealed that Red Bull shareholders recently called him to express their gratitude for his contribution to the creation of the car’s own power unit and for the victory of Max Verstappen in it Bahrain Grand Prixheld in Malaysia, the first of the season.
“It was a gesture of gratitude,” he said. “For all the men and women who participated, it was an incredible achievement in their 16th attempt to win a Grand Prix (this year), something that is very difficult even in the best of circumstances.”
“I thanked the shareholders who contacted me already Oliver Mintzlaff (Red Bull CEO), who also thanked me. It was a quite different call than the one I received fifteen months before,” he noted.
