Marko and Verstappen dismiss 'nonsense' rumors about Horner.

      "Things will remain unchanged for us"

      Dr. Helmut Marko has dismissed rumors claiming that Christian Horner will be removed from his position as Red Bull team principal after this weekend’s grand prix in Imola, labeling them as "nonsense." "That’s not true and is completely nonsense," the team advisor expressed to Kleine Zeitung.

      Quadruple world champion Max Verstappen was posed the same inquiry by Dutch reporters and responded, "I have no idea where these rumors originate."

      In fact, the controversy surrounding Horner in 2024 has significantly diminished, as have the leadership disruptions and the departure of key personnel, including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley. Nevertheless, Red Bull faces a notable performance gap compared to championship leaders McLaren and has only a minor car update for Imola, which Marko admits is "nothing massive." "There was also a slight improvement in Miami, but it wasn’t sufficient," he told Kronen Zeitung.

      It is also important to mention that since Wheatley left to become team principal at Audi-owned Sauber, Red Bull’s previously leading pitstop efficiency has diminished. "There have always been various reasons, but we have fallen from being the best to mid-table," Marko, 82, conceded. "However, we are diligently working to enhance our performance."

      Regarding the "nonsense" rumors about Horner, the Austrian added: "It appears someone is trying to make themselves relevant again. Everything will stay the same with us."

      What is evident, however, is that given Red Bull's difficulty in finding a teammate who can closely match Verstappen’s performance, the team will be quite anxious as contract performance clauses approach in the summer. De Limburger newspaper linked this situation to Verstappen’s record-setting drive around the challenging Nordschleife at the Nurburgring last week. "Max Verstappen can do whatever he wishes because Red Bull is nervous that he might leave suddenly," the newspaper concluded.

      The 27-year-old Dutch driver emphasizes that he did it for "fun," but he acknowledges he is also preparing for a day when he can compete in events like the Nurburgring 24 Hours. "It’s my passion, and it's my own free time," Verstappen stated.

      There have been speculations that Verstappen might skip the 2026 Formula 1 season to observe the entirely new regulations from the sidelines, choose the most competitive team for a comeback in 2027, and during that time, race GT3 cars. "That’s out of the question," Verstappen replied when asked about a possible break.

      As for Ralf Schumacher's comment that driving around the Nordschleife is excessively dangerous for a Formula 1 driver, Marko calmly responded: "That’s not true with a GT car. It is significantly slower than a Formula 1 car, which he intended to drive there last year," he said with a smile.