Despite utter domination, controversy still seems to follow Max Verstappen and Red Bull. In the wake of a tumultuous period at Red Bull, more and more people are in support of Helmut Marko’s sacking. Scathing remarks from a former team manager on Marko’s leadership have sparked debates. Adding fuel to the fire by talking about the impact of his management style on the team’s dynamics and the performance of drivers. The situation now looks to have led to a significant rift within the team. On top of all this, concerns have started mounting over the influence of Marko’s approach on the morale and performance of the drivers.

While Helmut Marko is infamous for his ruthless approach. His recent comments and managerial style have not gone down well within the F1 community. His controversial statements have not only affected the team’s reputation. But has also raised questions about the well-being of the drivers. Particularly in light of the struggles faced by Sergio Perez alongside the meteoric rise of Max Verstappen.

Former team manager’s scathing critique unveils turmoil under Marko’s Leadership amid dominance from Max Verstappen

Red Bull and Max Verstappen have replicated dominance that only the elites in the sport have managed. But amidst all that, they have managed to find themselves in between a controversy, once again! Former team manager Joan Villadelprat did not shy away from sharing his honest opinion regarding Helmut.

He asserted in an exclusive with PlanetF1, “Every time he opens his mouth, the only thing he’s doing is hammering.” Damn. Getting straight to the point, Joan! Interestingly enough, Marko has recently been putting quite a lot of pressure on Checo, with a warning being handed to him. Granted that people of different generations have their own way of handling situations. But surely this doesn’t help Checo? Especially with Max dominating flawlessly, the added pressure from Marko’s words does more harm than good.

Reflecting on his experiences with Marko, Joan further revealed, “I have worked with Marko, I’ve had five cars from him in junior categories, and I had Jaime Alguersuari and Brendon Hartley – Red Bull boys in my teams. I know the pressure that he puts on the young kids, he’s useless.” Imagine being a young driver under Marko. Not a pleasant and supporting environment to develop as a person and a racing driver.

Villadelprat’s comments have revealed how Marko’s harsh leadership created a harmful work atmosphere. Additionally, Marko’s aggressive methods raise concerns about the drivers’ welfare. It’s common for athletes to go have dips in form. But to not even support the driver by helping him pick up his confidence, and rather use harsh words and warnings, will do no good for anyone.

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Admit it or not, drivers like Max Verstappen are once in a generation. While Checo and Max both worked hard towards the same dream. Verstappen had his father’s love behind him, along with the privileges that come with being a former F1 driver. Moreover, he also had the backing of Helmut Marko, who was the one to first recognize him during his days back in F3. For a driver to jump straight away from F3 to F1, while skipping F2 was a huge risk. A risk that the Helmut was willing to take.

Power struggle unveiled: Max caught in a tug of war between Horner and Marko

Red Bull’s internal power struggle continues to brew a battle within the team’s management. Two of the most influential figures in the team, Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, have surprisingly found themselves in a tug-of-war. And funny enough, Max Verstappen might be the ultimate deciding factor.

As tension within the team has been rising over the decisions like Perez’s future, and the ownership of AlphaTauri. Their affected relationship is quite clear. Some reports have suggested that the three-time F1 world champion is most likely to side with Marko, who supported him in his transition to F1. Thanks to this bond, Christian Horner may have unfortunately found himself in the wrong corner.

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It’ll be interesting to see how things turn around at Red Bull. With Max’s reported ego tussles with Horner, and Marko being blasted in media to be sacked, repeatedly. There is a chance that this controversy ends up affecting the team and their drivers in the next five races. As for the 2024 season, God knows what will happen!