15/03/2024
NEWS STORY
As the sorry saga rumbles on, Christian Horner insists that nobody at Red Bull is indispensable, that nobody is bigger than the team.
With Helmut Marko having confirmed that he is not to be suspended, and having made a point of arriving in the Jeddah paddock with ReD Bull GmbH CEO, Oliver Mintzlaff, the ball was now in Horner's court.
As was the case in Bahrain, the Red Bull boss had his wife present for some increasingly awkward photo ops, at a time Toto Wolff was openly stirring the sh*t by talking of welcoming both Marko and Max Verstappen to Mercedes.
"I'd love to have him," said Wolff, when asked about having Verstappen at Brackley, after the Dutch youngster had given his full support to Marko, "but first we need to sort out our car. First, we owe it to George and Lewis to improve the car and give them equipment that is good before dreaming about the future next year.
"A driver will always try to be in the fastest possible car," he added. "That gives you the best chances of winning races and championships and this is where Max is at the moment.
"But Max is also... Jos and Raymond Vermeulen (the world champion's manager) are also people who are very straight, sometimes uncomfortably straight, and I think that's something they will make up their mind on. But I think fundamentally a racing driver is calibrated to be in the best car."
"That said, there is no team up and down the grid that wouldn't do handstands to have him in their car."
Meanwhile, as his team continues to implode, Horner sought to make clear that despite the various personalities involved in the saga the team comes first.
"Obviously, a lot is made of this stuff," he told Sky Sports at race end. "But we are one team, and nobody is bigger than the team.
"Everybody has a role to play," he continued. "That's from the very bottom to the very top."
Referring to the discussion between Marko and Mintzlaff earlier in the day, Horner made clear that "Helmut is a consultant to Red Bull GmbH. So, whatever the discussion was, it was between them and was not the team.
"Max is an important member of our team," he added. "He's a valued member of our team. He's a wonderful driver, but everybody has a role to play in this team. We are a team. And no single individual is bigger than the team."
While Marko has taken centre stage in Jeddah, a week earlier it was Jos Verstappen in the spotlight, as he warned the team faced exploding if Horner didn't go.
Asked if the situation with the world champion's father can be resolved, Horner said: "The speculation is obviously rife. But the most important thing is the team and focusing on on-track performances. You only do that by having a spirit, a culture, and a determination throughout the entire company.
"As team principal and CEO, I'm responsible for the running and the operation of this team. So, everybody has to do their part. Max is doing his part, and everybody else is doing their part."
Check out our Saturday gallery from Jeddah here.