Red Bull GmbH managing director, Oliver Mintzlaff has dismissed talk of tension within the F1 team between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
At the height of last year’s saga, from which the Milton Keynes-based outfit has seemingly never really recovered, the team appeared to be split into three factions, those supporting the team boss, those who were sick of the whole thing and those behind Marko and what appeared to be a bid to stamp a more Austrian identity on the team.
While investigations cleared Horner of any impropriety, the numerous high-profile departures and the obvious lack of performance have led to claims that the infighting continues only that it is being kept away from the prying eyes and ears of the media as much as possible.
However, attending the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Mintzlaff was keen play down talk of an internal rift at the team.
“I have full confidence in every single employee,” he told Bild. This also applies to our management team.
“Helmut and Christian both want maximum success and subordinate everything to it,” he insisted. “It should not be forgotten that the two will have their 400th race together at the next Grand Prix in Miami,” he added.
“It is clear that with all the pressure, emotions and passion, emotions can sometimes boil up,” he admitted. “But then you have to sit down together and discuss it behind closed doors. And that is what we do.”
Mintzlaff has already dismissed talk of Max Verstappen quitting the team at season end, the team hoping that upcoming upgrades will allow the Dutchman and his teammate to take the fight to McLaren, while Marko has suggested that the upgrades will allow the Austrian team to lead its Woking rivals.
That aside, also hanging over the team is the fact that from next season it will be running its own power units and Verstappen is one of many who have expressed doubts over whether this was a good move.
