Despite being fired from his only role ever in F1, Guenther Steiner cannot keep motorsport out of his veins. After his shock exit from Haas, he returned to the paddock as an F1 Pundit for German TV RTL. He then landed a bigger journalism role in Australia, interviewing the Top 3 finishers. But just as it seemed that he was happy being in the media, reports of him looking to acquire Red Bull’s junior team surfaced, which Helmut Marko has scorned.
Steiner’s personality transcends the boundaries of sports, as evident in Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’. His raw and unfiltered persona made him a household name. But because he failed in steering the American F1 team to glory, he is now reportedly eyeing to acquire a frontrunner, for which he has already lined up an investor. And Red Bull’s junior team, Visa Cash App RB, is his 1st option.
Helmut Marko, who is the team advisor for the Red Bull family, was recently asked about such rumors of RB being sold. “I really don’t understand where these things keep coming from,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung. “Everything has been clarified and settled with the shareholders.”
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Speculations of RB being sold could also be stemming from the chaos surrounding Red Bull. There are many moving parts in both teams, including the Christian Horner controversy and Daniel Ricciardo’s underwhelming return. While Marko is waiting to decide on the latter, the former case, he claims, could prove to be Red Bull’s demise.
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Helmut Marko demands “calm” within Red Bull amid Christian Horner controversy
Several reports have claimed that Christian Horner is aiming to be Red Bull’s Sole Chief. This has intensified the ‘power struggle’, dividing the shareholders as well as certain team leaders. While Helmut Marko has clearly denied participation in “politics”, he has urgently called for peace to avoid Red Bull’s demise.
“Basically, it’s about bringing calm to the team and that is urgently needed,” Marko said, addressing the Horner situation. “As we saw in Australia, Ferrari is on hand if we don’t deliver. Other factors also played a role, but the goal has to be the fourth World Championship title in a row. Everything else has to be subordinated to that.”
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This ugly case looming over Red Bull hasn’t spoiled their on-track performance yet. Adrian Newey continues to build rocket ships and Max Verstappen continues to maximize their performance. But the team can only progress so far with unrest brewing within.