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Marko throws oil on the fire: 'Jos Verstappen is a bigger fan of Wolff than of Horner'
- Nicole Mulder
Toto Wolff's overt attempts to bring Max Verstappen to Mercedes have caused some irritation to Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner during the current Formula 1 season. Helmut Marko is less concerned about the situation but stresses that without a winning car, Verstappen has the option of leaving earlier than the end date of his contract.
Marko: 'Toto Wolff is making quite a story out of it'
Marko previously indicated that he did not find it at all strange that talks took place between Verstappen and Wolff during the summer break. The Red Bull advisor stated that since almost everyone in the F1 world lives in Monaco, talks logically take place when there is no racing.
Marko thinks it is only logical that Wolff made attempts to bring in Verstappen. "I mean, he wouldn't be a good team principal if he wouldn't try to get Max. I think every top team would like to have Max," the 81-year-old Austrian told the Inside Line F1 Podcast. "Of course, Toto makes a story out of it. And on the other hand, Jos Verstappen, I think, is a bigger fan of Toto than he is of Christian," he adds.
Marko on Verstappen's exit clause
The top adviser stresses, as he has before, that there are exit clauses in Verstappen's contract. "Those are mainly based on performance," says Marko. "At the moment, Max is focused to win the championship. The team is focused to win this championship. And we have to look forward. And in 2026 there are new rules coming."
"Nobody knows at the moment who will have a competitive engine. For example, what happened in 2014, when all of a sudden the engine we used was at least 50 horsepower or more behind and was not reliable. You really don't know what will happen. But at the moment, everything is clear. Max will drive for Red Bull next season. We have to give him a car that he can win with. And then all these rumors will, I think, stop immediately," Marko concluded.
This article has been written in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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