Christian Horner defends “old school” Helmut Marko after Isack Hadjar comment
“He will always have his own opinion which he has the right to.”
Christian Horner has defended Helmut Marko's “old school” approach following his harsh criticism of Isack Hadjar.
Red Bull F1 junior Hadjar crashed on the formation lap at the season-opening F1 Australian Grand Prix.
Hadjar was seen in tears walking down the Melbourne paddock, where Anthony Hamilton, the father of Lewis Hamilton, consoled him.
Hadjar’s emotional reaction didn't impress Marko, who labelled it “embarrassing”.
Speaking after FP1 in Shanghai, Horner was asked about Marko’s comments.
“Look, Helmut’s 82 years of age. He’s old school,” Horner told Sky Sports. “He’s a guy who lost an eye and pulled over the car and just turned the engine off. He will always have his own opinion which he has the right to.
“Does everybody share that opinion? No. It was very sad to see him that upset, of course it was. No doubt his team have got around him, But you forget how young they are. He’s 20 years of age, and he’s got a bright future ahead of him. He’ll be fine.”
Red Bull give youth a chance
Since joining the sport, Red Bull have been at the forefront of giving young drivers a chance.
In terms of the current 2025 F1 grid, eight of the 20 drivers have been part of their junior programme.
Max Verstappen, Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Hadjar race for one of their two F1 teams.
Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz and Jack Doohan have also been Red Bull junior drivers.
Horner backed Red Bull’s approach to giving young drivers an opportunity in F1.
“Drivers develop at different times. I mean, I got Alex that Williams seat in 2021,” Horner added. “Different drivers, they’ve now got plenty of experience.
“But if you look at the other side, none of these drivers would have had the opportunity had it not been for Red Bull. Other organisations weren’t taking the chance on Carlos Sainz, on Alex, on Pierre Gasly, on Liam Lawson or Yuki.
“It’s been Red Bull that has been investing in its youth and giving this opportunity and platform.
“And of course, there’s only so long you can give before you set them free, and if they’re able to carve out a career, then that’s great for them.”
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
