F1 BOMBSHELL: HELMUT MARKO ACCUSES CHRISTIAN HORNER OF "LIES," "DIRTY GAMES" AT RED BULL
Helmut Marko has launched a shocking attack on Christian Horner, alleging the former team principal lied, orchestrated a power grab after Mateschitz’s death, and played "dirty games."
Helmut Marko has made some shocking accusations against former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, claiming Horner lied and played dirty games.
This all comes after Red Bull GmbH said earlier this week that Marko would be stepping down as senior advisor after 20 years, which followed Horner's exit.
Horner was let go by Red Bull after this year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, ending his time leading the team.
His last years were filled with controversy, including being cleared twice after allegations of inappropriate behavior toward a Red Bull staff member.
There were also rumors of a power struggle after the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022. Horner also reportedly didn't get along well with Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull's star driver Max Verstappen.
In an interview with De Limburger, Marko said that Horner began trying to get close to Chalerm Yoovidhya, the Thai businessman and majority shareholder of Red Bull GmbH, before Mateschitz’s death in 2022.
When asked if Horner's departure meant the end of their power struggle, Marko said it wasn't personal and explained that he and Mateschitz founded Red Bull Racing in 2005 and appointed Horner as team principal. Marko said the power was mainly in Austria, where they made the decisions.
Marko recalled a party in 2022 before the Austrian Grand Prix where Horner allegedly told him that Mateschitz wouldn't live to the end of the year. Marko then claims Horner started trying to get close to Yoovidhya and, after Mateschitz passed away, did everything he could to take over with Yoovidhya's support. Marko claims he tried to prevent this on behalf of Austria.
Marko also said that there were dirty games played at Red Bull during Horner's time there.
He brought up an incident where he was quoted as saying that Mexicans are less focused than the Dutch or Germans, which he claims was made up, possibly by Horner's team.
Marko was referring to a comment he made at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, where he said Perez has problems in qualifying and isn't as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel.
He apologized for those comments, saying that he doesn't believe in generalizing about people from any country or ethnicity and that it was wrong to attribute Perez's performance to his background.
Marko also mentioned another alleged fabrication, claiming that Horner wanted to suspend him for supposedly spreading rumors that the engine development was behind schedule and that Red Bull would lose Ford as a sponsor. He claims he never said that, but Max Verstappen stepped in to prevent the suspension.
Rumors of a possible suspension surfaced early in the 2024 season, reportedly related to an investigation into the leaking of information about the internal investigation into Horner's behavior.
Marko acknowledged the possibility of action being taken against him before the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but he wasn't suspended after talks.
Verstappen spoke about the rumors, saying that Marko's departure would not be good for my situation as well.
Marko also claimed that Horner lost Yoovidhya's support before leaving in mid-2025 because Red Bull was able to prove that Horner was lying about things.
Marko suggested that the press release from Red Bull GmbH, stating that he had decided to leave on his own, was full of nonsense. He said that he had to quickly call Max Verstappen to tell him about his departure, implying that he had little control over the timing of the announcement.
KIM KARDASHIAN AND LEWIS HAMILTON SPOTTED ON ROMANTIC EUROPEAN TOUR TOGETHER
Kim Kardashian and F1 star Lewis Hamilton are turning heads across Europe as insiders reveal Kim's "Russell Wilson" nickname.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton are the latest celebrity duo making waves, and apparently, Kim’s already got a cheeky nickname for him. The two have been spotted out together in the Cotswolds, London, and Paris, just enjoying themselves and turning a few heads in the process.
Word is, Kim’s close friends are spilling a few details about this new romance. One insider claims Lewis isn’t looking to settle down right now, but Kim still has a special name for him—she calls him “her Russell Wilson”. If you know the reference, it’s a nod to NFL star Russell Wilson, who married singer Ciara after her high-profile breakup with rapper Future. Friends say Kim thinks of Lewis as a “sophisticated upgrade” from her ex, Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye—now legally known as Ye—were married from 2014 to 2021 and share four kids. Their co-parenting relationship is famously complicated.
Kim’s reportedly a bit anxious about how Kanye will react to her new thing with Lewis, considering Kanye and Lewis were friends back in the day. One source told the Mail, “They’re both cautious about Kanye’s feelings since he and Lewis go way back. Kim’s living for herself these days, but she doesn’t want to poke the bear. They know this could set Kanye off, so they’re keeping it light and just having fun for now.”
Kim and Lewis first crossed paths years ago at GQ’s 2014 Men of the Year Awards. Back then, they both showed up with their now-exes—Kim was with Ye, and Lewis was with Nicole Scherzinger.
Kanye even had Lewis over for Easter one year. He talked about it: “Lewis Hamilton’s over at my house, and we’re playing some music in my studio. We’re having Easter brunch—my wife’s family, my friends, everyone’s there. And everybody’s like, ‘What is this music?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s Lewis Hamilton’s music.’”
Since splitting from Ye, Kim’s dated Pete Davidson and moved on. Kanye’s remarried, too—this time to Australian architect Bianca Censori.
Those two have been in the headlines a lot, usually for their wild fashion choices. Things got especially wild when Bianca showed up at the Grammy Awards in a see-through gown. She arrived in a black fur coat but ditched it to reveal a sheer dress that left little to the imagination. People at the event were definitely stunned.
FERRARI SF-26 COMPLETES 121 LAPS IN HISTORIC LEWIS HAMILTON-LECLERC BARCELONA DEBUT
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a "productive" 121-lap debut for the Ferrari SF-26 during 2026 testing in Barcelona.
Ferrari kicked off its on-track work for the 2026 Formula One season with a steady first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in the team’s bold new car, and the whole thing felt like the start of a new chapter.
With the 2026 rules shaking up both the chassis and the power unit, Ferrari didn’t chase lap times. They zeroed in on checking systems, making sure their data lined up, and ironing out any reliability kinks. The weather threw a few curveballs—rain, some dry patches—but even so, they got through their plan and stacked up plenty of laps.
Leclerc seemed upbeat after his first taste of the new machine. He said it felt good to get back behind the wheel and start figuring out the car, even if the focus was just on systems and not raw speed. “We came here to understand how everything works,” he said. “With the weather mixed up, today was all about checks. We finished what we set out to do, and the car did what we expected. It’s a solid start and a decent base.”
Hamilton, now officially in Ferrari red, felt the same. For him, it was a busy day—lots of on-track time, plenty of new things to get used to—but he called it productive. “We got good mileage, learnt a lot, and didn’t hit any big issues. That’s what matters with so many changes coming in. This gives us a strong platform for the next few days.”
Ferrari’s Head of Track Engineering, Matteo Togninalli, stressed how important it was just to get through the day cleanly. “Given the conditions, it went well for us,” he said. Rain or not, they racked up the laps and—most importantly—avoided any real reliability problems. That’s the top priority when you’re shaking down a brand-new car and engine.
Performance talk? Still way too early for that. Right now, Ferrari’s just learning how this new car behaves, gathering data, and building up bit by bit as the days go on—keeping their focus squarely on themselves.