Marko admits he may be sacked in Red Bull power struggle

Helmut Marko, head of motorsport from the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, is on the phone in the paddock. Hasan Bratic/dpa

Former Austrian racing driver and adviser to the Red Bull team, Helmut Marko, could be pushed out in a power struggle at the Formula One world champions, he acknowledged on Friday.

Team principal Christian Horner has been under pressure following an investigation into his conduct with a female employee.

The Briton was cleared by the team last month but there have been tensions with triple world champion Max Verstappen's father Jos, who has said Horner must leave.

Marko, Austrian like the Red Bull empire which owns the team, is also part of the power play following the death of overall Red Bull supremo Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022.

"I have a meeting tomorrow. It has to be right for me. It is a two-sided thing," Marko told Germany's Sky at the Saudi Grand Prix amid reports in Austria that he was about to be sacked.

He said the meeting is with new Red Bull sports chief Oliver Mintzlaff, who used to run the RB Leipzig football team.

When asked by Austrian broadcaster ORF if this might be his last race, the 80-year-old Marko said: "The possibility theoretically exists."

It suggests Horner may have won the internal battle at Red Bull Racing, especially as the PA news agency reported on Thursday that his accuser is being suspended by the team.