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Motorsport:
News of the allegations made against Horner has seemingly shocked the team. It made a statement shortly after the accusations emerged which notified the public that an internal investigation was now under way, but has since deferred all communications on the subject to the company’s main base of operations in Austria.
While personal friendships with Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen (father of Max) are said to able be under strain, Horner has long been reported to be involved in a “power struggle” in wider Red Bull company, which has been simmering since the death of Red Bull founder Mateschitz in 2022.
Instead of a single figurehead, the company is currently controlled by a board of directors including Franz Watzlawick (CEO), Alexander Kirchmayr (CFO) and Oliver Mintzlaff. The latter, who heads Red Bull’s corporate projects and investments department, is rumoured to be Horner’s greatest opposer.
“Mintzlaff wants Horner to depart,” a Red Bull observer told The Daily Mail. “Not least because he has become too senior and too expensive for their liking. But the Thais on the main board [composed of Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, sons of the Red Bull’s co-founders Chaleo and Dietrich] aren’t so sure.”
Helmut Marko has also been identified as a possible opposer to Horner’s current position, and could be seeking “revenge” after negotiations over his last Red Bull contract turned sour. “Marko was given a contract renewal last year,” according to an F1 figure quoted by the newspaper. “But he saw his money halved. There is the notion that he wants his revenge on Horner, and wants him out.”
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