Just over a week ago, Max Verstappen became a three-time world champion. Two weeks before that, he single-handedly delivered Red Bull its sixth Constructors’ Championship. They are the pairing to beat at the moment. Everyone knows that. Considering how efficient Red Bull has proved to be as a team in the past couple of seasons, you would expect every inner workings to be as smooth as the operation is on track. Turns out that’s not the case at all.

Who would you say are the two most influential people in Red Bull management? Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, right? They have all the power in the team to make decisions they feel are right. But what happens when they’re the ones at odds? What happens if there’s a power struggle? The thing is, that’s precisely what’s happening, and Verstappen could play a major role in it.

Whose side will Max Verstappen be on—Horner or Marko?

Since Helmut Marko has been affiliated with Red Bull, he’s been the one to bring people to the team. Some would say he’s even the team’s backbone. The 80-year-old asked Christian Horner to join Red Bull in 2005, and for 19 years, they’ve worked together. Considering this, they should be really close to each other, don’t you think? Turns out, the past couple of months have put a strain on their relationship, especially when it comes to Sergio Perez’s future at the team. Marko’s xenophobic comments didn’t help his case either. But that’s not all, and Ralf Schumacher explained the situation to Sky Deutschland.

He said, “There was a rumor that AlphaTauri was to be sold. But the sale was then prevented because it was a wish of the late Dietrich Mateschitz (Red Bull founder). Then, it was decided that more support was needed. Christian Horner, in turn, took this as an opportunity to say, ‘If I have to support more, I also have to have more influence.’” [Translated by Google] AlphaTauri used to be Helmut Marko’s rein. It was his project, but over the past few years, Horner has started asserting his power in the sister team as well. That has soured the relationship between them even further. 

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Schumacher mentioned that Horner’s trying to make the team as valuable as he can so as to sell it once he takes care of the Marko situation. That’s where Verstappen comes in. The Dutchman shares a very close relationship with Marko because the Austrian was the one who recognized his talent and brought him into F1. Schumacher said, “Horner would be well advised not to put any further pressure on him. That wouldn’t end well for him. The connection between Dr. Marko and Verstappen should not be underestimated. We hear that Verstappen wouldn’t tolerate it but could rather do without Horner.”

Christian Horner Goes Against Helmut Marko’s Diktat to Give Crucial Lifeline to Sergio Perez

As crucial a part as Horner plays in Red Bull, Verstappen is the driving force, both literally and figuratively. If push comes to shove and the Dutchman has to pick between Horner and Marko, Schumacher believes Verstappen would favor Marko. To be fair, Verstappen owes a lot to Marko because he could’ve very well ended up at Mercedes had it not been for the Austrian.

Could Verstappen have driven for the Silver Arrows?

Drivers always say how they’d never forget everything their first team in F1 did for them. But the person who made that first step possible is just as important. Had it not been for Helmut Marko, Verstappen wouldn’t be a Red Bull driver today. Had it not been for Toto Wolff, George Russell wouldn’t be in Mercedes today. But had it not been for Wolff’s managerial misjudgment, Verstappen wouldn’t have been a Red Bull driver.

After Verstappen equaled Ayrton Senna’s three championships at the Qatar GP, former driver Gerhard Berger compared the Dutchman to Senna. That prompted Marko to reveal an interesting story from his past about Toto Wolff. In an interview with oe24, Marko said, “At first, [Wolff] didn’t share my enthusiasm for Max. When I first made [the Senna] comparison, he said, ‘That’s enough now!’ Mr. Wolff also commented at the time that the talent was not apparent. And [as a manager], he took on [Esteban] Ocon.” Marko recognized Verstappen for his talent in 2014 when he was in F3 and gave him a seat at Toro Rosso in 2015. And as they say, the rest is history.

Watch This Story: Will Max Verstappen Retire Early from F1?

What do you think about the power struggle at Red Bull? Do you believe Max Verstappen would really choose Helmut Marko over Christian Horner?