Marko discloses that Horner was against Verstappen's swift elevation.

      Dr. Helmut Marko has disclosed that former Red Bull head Christian Horner was against promoting Max Verstappen to the senior team back in 2016. This statement comes as Horner faces speculation about a potential return to Formula 1 following his departure from Red Bull, with rumors surrounding both an interest in Alpine and connections to the Chinese company BYD. In an interview with De Telegraaf, Marko mentioned that Verstappen's notable early elevation was much more contentious internally than many believe.

      After just four races in the 2016 season, Red Bull demoted Daniil Kvyat back to Toro Rosso and promoted the then-18-year-old Verstappen to join Daniel Ricciardo. "It was evident that we needed to take action," he said, referring to Kvyat's difficulties at that time. However, Marko noted that the decision drew significant criticism from both outside and within Red Bull.

      "Carlos Sainz, who was Max’s teammate, was quite disappointed that we didn’t select him, but for us, it was a straightforward choice," he explained. The most surprising factor was Horner's dissent. "Christian Horner disagreed with our decision to promote Max after just four races," Marko stated. "He was opposed to it, just as many competitors and critics questioned it, arguing that Max was still too young and that the move was risky."

      Marko added that once he received the go-ahead from the late Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, he promptly reached out to Verstappen’s father. "A day later, we were already together in Austria." Just ten days later, Verstappen made headlines by winning on his Red Bull debut at the Spanish Grand Prix.

      "Of course, that crash involving Mercedes was fortunate, but from that point on, Max demonstrated his talent," the 83-year-old former Red Bull advisor remarked. "He was quicker than teammate Ricciardo, and in the final laps, Kimi Raikkonen trailed him for a long time within one second." Marko noted that despite Raikkonen being faster on the straights, he couldn't overtake Max because of Verstappen's strategic and mature driving.

      Marko found particular satisfaction in the result given the resistance they faced. "People were mocking us, but now we could silence all the critics," he stated. When asked if it felt like vindication for Horner and the skeptics, Marko chuckled. "Absolutely, it was like 'I told you so!'" he remarked.

      Marko also suggested that Red Bull's later transition to Honda power units ultimately prevented Verstappen from leaving the team in the years that followed. "It’s unfortunate that we struggled with the Renault engine during those years, and it wasn't until 2021 that we provided him with a car capable of making him a world champion," he commented. "The switch to Honda engines really helped us during that time; otherwise, I believe Max might have considered leaving at some point."