Miguel A. HerguedasSpecial Envoy Jeddah
Jeddah Special Envoy
Updated Saturday, March 9, 2024-10:45
The Alpine debacle Without Alonso, fighting not to be last
Starting grid Classification and times
Classification Alonso battles the favorites and Verstappen signs another pole
On Friday, just a few minutes into Q1, a member of Red Bull's communications team burst into the Corniche Circuit press room to offer some explanations to journalists.
While
Max Verstappen
was preparing the car on the way to his first
pole position
in Jeddah, the team was trying to tackle another crisis within its garage.
The one that now affects
Helmut Marko
, his historical advisor, whose short-term future hangs in the balance.
The scandals of the last month threaten to take away the winning momentum of the team that has 40 victories in the last 43 races of the World Championship.
After the complaint filed against
Christian Horner
for alleged "inappropriate conduct" and the open war between the
main team
and
Jos Verstappen
, the pilot's father, today all eyes are directed towards Marko.
His Friday headline on Sky's microphones once again startled the
paddock:
"Everything would have to align for me to want to continue working."
Marko, 80, was for decades the right-hand man of
Dietrich Mateschitz
, the founder of Red Bull, who died in October 2022. However, his authority over the workers and his influence over Verstappen, whom he considers a mentor, now remain. in question due to alleged leaks of sensitive material.
Somehow, the Austrian seems to be caught up in another internal investigation.
And the skein doesn't stop getting tangled.
"I'm going to continue doing what I want"
When asked yesterday if he thought Red Bull was going to suspend him, just as it did with the employee who had reported Horner, Marko had to admit the evidence.
"It's difficult to explain, but in the end I decide what I'm going to do. However, that theoretical possibility exists," he said on the ORF network.
The fact is that there is no way to rush a few hours of tranquility in the energetic
hospitality
of Jeddah.
"It is possible that they will suspend me for Australia, but I am going to continue doing what I want," Marko explained regarding the third round of the World Cup, scheduled for March 22 and 24 in Melbourne.
Of course, even if he looks out of it, his darts at Horner will continue to monopolize the covers.
Especially if the Briton considers a future without Verstappen, because of his open war with Jos.
"Red Bull's strongest asset is Max. There is no faster driver. If he left it would be a big loss and a hard blow for our mechanics and engineers," he stressed.
Verstappen's support
In the absence of more details emerging about what appear to be mere personal vendettas, Verstappen also wanted to reiterate his support for Marko late yesterday.
"My loyalty to him is very great and I have already told everyone above. Dr Marko is an important part of my decision-making for the future, so I consider it very important that he continues," said the three-time champion. world.
Verstappen's loyalty to Marko dates back a decade, when Marko offered him the option of being Toro Rosso's third driver during the last three races of the 2014 World Championship. He was not even 17 years old then.
Marko's bet then outweighed the interest of Mercedes, the team that would now also bid to acquire his services.
With some cards already face up, the most decisive move on the table still remains to be elucidated.
That is, the one that defines the power struggles before
Chalerm Yoovidhya
, the company's largest shareholder.
Last weekend, the Thai billionaire's visit to the Bahrain GP was interpreted as a endorsement of Horner, who would have won the race due to his favor.