The power struggle between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko at the head of Red Bull degenerated with denunciations of sexual harassment which caused damage. Because if the British boss has so far managed to save his head (not very high), the affair has caused damage internally where the atmosphere is more than tense.
Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen would therefore be tempted to want to leave the ship even if the successes continue to accumulate. The ingenious engineer who made McLaren, Williams and Red Bull win would like, at 65, to realize one last fantasy. Or rather two at the same time: working at Ferrari and with his compatriot Lewis Hamilton. Fred Vasseur has obviously received full powers and full budgets to bring the Scuderia back to the top. According to Daily Mail, Newey would have informed the team of his departure at the end of 2024. And his wife would have already been seen near Maranello with real estate experts looking for a new property. We can therefore consider that the deal is certainly done.
An offer of 150 million for Max?
Newey's transfer to Italy is a second bomb which risks further encouraging the cascading explosion of a third. According to F1 Insiders, Mercedes would be ready to put a lot of money on the table to convince Max Verstappen to join them. Rumor suggests an exorbitant amount of 150 million per year. Almost triple what he currently earns at Red Bull. Negotiations should take place this week in Miami. Helmut Marko would be part of the deal and could take over Mercedes' youth sector. Certainly, the Belgian-Dutchman has a concrete contract until 2028. But also a good lawyer and clauses which would allow him to leave if he wishes. In any case, we have rarely seen a team retain a driver against their will.
Dismembered if all this is confirmed, how will the Red Bull team react? By hiring Carlos Sainz who is currently doing an excellent job at Ferrari? Possible. The recent signing of Fernando Alonso is a sign that the doors are closed at Mercedes and Red Bull. Sauber-Audi's hiring of Nico Hulkenberg perhaps also means that they failed to convince the youngest Spaniard. The next few weeks are likely to be very intense behind the scenes. Lewis Hamilton paved the way and we may not be at the end of our surprises.
