Marko backs Schumacher's 'absolute lie' response to Horner's Verstappen claim

Helmut Marko has dismissed Christian Horner’s account of how Max Verstappen got into Red Bull, backing Ralf Schumacher after Horner called Schumacher’s claim an “absolute lie.” Horner’s upcoming autobiography, Drive, has sparked the dispute. Marko told Austrian outlet oe24 that he is “ignoring it as much as possible,” and said Schumacher handled his criticism well. In the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher claimed Marko showed interest when Verstappen was about 11-and-a-half, while Jos Verstappen felt it was too early. Marko largely agreed, saying Verstappen’s development later enabled the reunion. The row continues amid ongoing tensions between Horner and Marko, intensified after Dietrich Mateschitz’s death.