Overview
- Christian Horner's book Drive alleges that longtime adviser Helmut Marko helped engineer Horner's July 2025 dismissal and leaked internal information to the media.
- Helmut Marko rejected the claims in televised interviews, calling them untrue and saying he had even sent written condolences after the death of Horner's former partner.
- Horner said representatives of both Red Bull shareholders phoned to congratulate him after the Red Bull–Ford power unit's first Grand Prix win, a gesture he contrasted with the call that informed him of his sacking.
- The Red Bull–Ford power unit, developed after Honda's 2020 exit, debuted in 2026 and has already won races in Malaysia and Singapore, which Horner cites as vindication of the Powertrains project he helped build.
- No independent evidence has resolved the competing claims and the public back-and-forth could affect reputations and internal control questions that have grown since Mateschitz's 2022 death.