'Horner and Marko completely opposed again in discussion about Ricciardo'
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Rumors
Max Verstappen reports there is no question of a power struggle within Red Bull Racing, but more rumours are still surfacing. For instance, De Telegraaf reports that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko do not agree about Daniel Ricciardo either.
It was a turbulent week for Red Bull Racing. The team saw reports of a power struggle between Helmut Marko and Christian Horner. O Globo were the first to come out with that news, with Ralf Schumacher and Auto Bild adding to it.
Red Bull denies rumours of power struggle
Red Bull had to respond and did so. First, Marko came out with a statement that was still somewhat shaky. A day later, Horner's statement was much more straightforward: nothing will change at Red Bull Racing. The same could be said of Verstappen's statement, who described the rumours as "Bulls***" on Thursday.
Yet even De Telegraaf reports that cracks have appeared within the Red Bull camp. Marko and Horner are not always on the same page, as was previously evident in the appointment and sacking of Nyck de Vries. Horner did not want De Vries in the first place. When the dismissal was determined, it was precisely Marko who made the call too early, forcing a press release to be made at the drop of a hat.
Why Marko and Horner clash
Horner wants to control what Marko says but will now realise what might happen if he acts too harshly against Marko: then he will lose Verstappen too. Publically, they are all singing from the same hymn sheet, but the next obstacle is already looming in the distance.
De Telegraaf reports that it is known internally that Marko has doubts about Daniel Ricciardo. Marko is said to still be annoyed that Ricciardo left the team for Renault in 2018. On the other hand, Horner is said to be a fan of Ricciardo and would be only too happy to bring him to the team if they decide to say goodbye to Perez.