Helmut Marko shares insight into shock Max Verstappen promotion: ‘Christian Horner disagreed’
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko shared that Christian Horner initially opposed the decision to bring Max Verstappen into the team in 2016. Verstappen was quickly promoted to partner Daniel Ricciardo early in his second season, replacing Daniil Kvyat, who had a challenging start to the year. Kvyat’s struggles culminated in a race in which he collided twice with Sebastian Vettel, leading Red Bull to make the driver switch. Verstappen showcased his talent by winning in his debut race for Red Bull, becoming the youngest race winner in F1 history. Despite Verstappen’s success, not everyone, including Horner, was on board with the decision, with some feeling he was too young. Marko highlighted that Horner was among those who disagreed with the move, showing that there were differing opinions within the team’s management regarding Verstappen’s promotion.
