Helmut Marko has publicly dismissed Christian Horner’s claims in his forthcoming autobiography, describing the book as a “collection of untruths” as tensions between the former Red Bull colleagues continue to escalate.
The pair worked together for two decades at Red Bull Racing, overseeing championship-winning campaigns that established Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen as four-time Formula 1 world champions. However, their relationship deteriorated following the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022, with their disagreements eventually culminating in both men leaving the team.
Horner, who was dismissed from his position as team principal, has now revisited the breakdown of their relationship in his new book, Drive, due for release on October 22.
In the book, Horner accuses Marko of working to secure his dismissal at a particularly difficult time in his personal life.
“It hurt me that he worked so hard to get me fired, especially since my ex-partner and the mother of my daughter had recently passed away. He didn’t even offer his condolences,” Horner writes.
When confronted by Bild about Horner’s comments, Marko offered a blunt response.
“The book is a collection of untruths, which I do not want to discuss in detail,” the Austrian said.
His refusal to elaborate leaves the competing accounts of their relationship unresolved, adding another chapter to the increasingly public dispute between two of the most influential figures in Red Bull’s Formula 1 history.
Horner’s book release date raises eyebrows
The timing of the book’s release has also attracted attention. October 22 marks the anniversary of Mateschitz’s death, with Bild reporting that the chosen date has caused anger within the Red Bull camp.
According to the publication, the timing is viewed by some within the organisation as a provocation. Horner, however, has described his book as a tribute.
Mateschitz’s death marked a turning point for Red Bull, with the organisation moving away from the founder-led structure that had shaped its motorsport operations for years.
The subsequent changes in the team’s internal power dynamics contributed to tensions between Horner and Marko, whose differing positions became increasingly difficult to reconcile.
Horner’s account now offers his perspective on those events, while Marko’s response makes clear that he disputes the former team principal’s version of the story.
Horner explains why Red Bull dismissed him
Horner has also spoken separately about the circumstances surrounding his departure from Red Bull, suggesting that the organisation’s priorities changed after Mateschitz’s death.
“I think the company simply wanted to go in a different direction, or perhaps it was perceived that I had too much influence on the team,” Horner recently told Autosport.
“And of course, life within the company was very different after the death of Dietrich Mateschitz.”
The Briton also reflected on the significance of losing the company’s founder and the effect it had on Red Bull’s decision-making processes.
“It’s easy to underestimate what he actually did for the world of motorsport,” Horner said.
“So when you lose a founder like that, it inevitably leaves a void, and it’s just different.”
He added that the organisation underwent a fundamental shift following Mateschitz’s death.
“After that, things were simply different. Suddenly there was much more committee and corporate management than perhaps with a single founder and the decision-making process we had become accustomed to.”
Horner’s comments suggest that he views the change in corporate leadership as central to understanding his eventual dismissal. Marko, meanwhile, has rejected the claims made in the former team principal’s book without offering a detailed counter-account.
With both men now outside Red Bull, their public disagreement provides a rare glimpse into the internal tensions behind one of Formula 1’s most successful modern teams. Whether Marko chooses to respond to Horner’s allegations in greater detail remains to be seen.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
