What Marko really thought about Max Verstappen, Christian Horner's stunning revelations

Christian Horner's new memoir reveals significant tensions within Red Bull Racing, particularly regarding the signing of Max Verstappen. Horner claims that Helmut Marko was initially against bringing Verstappen into the team, despite Marko's public image as a key figure in the driver's early career. Horner recalls Marko's dismissive comments about Verstappen's father, Jos, highlighting a stark contrast to the narrative that Marko was instrumental in Verstappen's recruitment.

The memoir also discusses Horner's feelings of betrayal by Marko following his own firing in July 2025, after a long tenure at Red Bull. Horner reflects on their relationship, noting how it deteriorated after the death of team founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022, which intensified the internal power struggles within the team.