'Marko resolved retirement issue with Red Bull boss'
F1 News
The chaos surrounding Red Bull Racing and the alleged power struggle between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko has calmed down. Neither will leave the team and the team appears outwardly unified. There was, however, possible talk of Marko retiring, but the chances of him actually leaving are very slim.
Situation at Red Bull Racing calmed down
A power struggle is reportedly taking place within the ranks of the F1 championship team. Following the death of Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz, Horner is said to have been out to increase his power within the group's sports branch and also want more control over AlphaTauri. Team advisor Marko would have to suffer at his expense. Star driver Max Verstappen was also implicated in the rumours and named as a supporter of keeping Marko on.
The rumours have been denied by the team and there is no visible chaos or panic at the team. However, Business F1 Magazine does report that team advisor Marko has had to 'fight' to keep his place with the team. Given Marko's age, it is not surprising that the Austrian once thought of retirement. Marko alone would not think about that himself, but according to the medium, Mateschitz's replacement, German Oliver Mintzlaff, is the man who did think about it.
'Marko has solved problem'
The magazine said: "Red Bull’s non-beverage side is run by German Oliver Mintzlaff and Germans have very strong views on retirement age, with many capable German executives being forced to retire when they reach their 60th birthdays. Marko however is believed to have formed a strong bond with Mintzlaff and resolved that question with him”
Marko reportedly did tell a friend he was thinking about retirement at the end of this year, but Marko actually saying goodbye to F1 after 2023 is very unlikely. Friends of Marko also say that Marko is not dependent on F1 and does not need the sport in that sense. The team advisor is described as a successful businessman.