MARCH 14, 2024

Ford still committed, but Red Bull saga not over

For now at least, Red Bull has retained the backing of its 2026 works Formula 1 engine partner Ford amid the Christian Horner power struggle and scandal.

At Jeddah, Red Bull's F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko - reportedly on the other side of the Horner camp - admitted that both Ford and also Honda have expressed concerns about the ongoing and murky nature of the saga.

However, trackside meetings in Saudi Arabia at least brought some calm to the scandal.

A lot has become clearer, Marko, 80, now tells De Telegraaf newspaper.

When asked if he can continue to work with Horner, he explained: "We've been doing it for 19 years already, so why not?

However, there are still some issues that need to be resolved.

At least for now, Ford still appears committed to the energy drink brand's motorsport program, revealing itself as the title sponsor of the Red Bull-backed F1 Academy team project - the new, all-female F1 support series.

Mercedes boss and Red Bull nemesis Toto Wolff, however, warns that the Horner scandal does not appear to be over yet.

From the outside, we're treated to a lot of drama, he told Osterreich newspaper. But for a team like Red Bull, a situation like this isn't great.

He thinks Red Bull has handled the situation badly because of today's very transparent world.

Not saying everything only makes it more interesting, leading to more questions, more stories, more speculation, Wolff added.

"But there is a real story in the background, and it's the most important one - why did a woman who felt uncomfortable go to HR? Why hasn't anything talked about this yet?

There's also an information strategy that looks a bit confusing from the outside, the Austrian said. Generally, I think the Austrians are professional while in England they try to keep everything small, but that's no longer possible these days.

(GMM)