https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/did- ... /10588570/But what is perhaps most intriguing about this Marko exit clause is that, according to sources, it was not part of the original contract that Verstappen and Red Bull signed back in 2022.
Instead, it is understood that the clause forms part of an addendum to the contract that was added more recently.
And even more intriguingly, it has been revealed by insiders that this addition to the original contract was put in place unilaterally by the Verstappens and Marko without Red Bull’s F1 team, nor Horner, knowing anything about it at the time.
Marko was able to do this because he is one of the two directors of Red Bull Racing, so is able to act on the team’s behalf.
I doubt CH would not have known of this contractual add on.izzy wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 16:25So apparently Marko wrote himself into Max's contract, by giving Max an exit clause:https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/did- ... /10588570/But what is perhaps most intriguing about this Marko exit clause is that, according to sources, it was not part of the original contract that Verstappen and Red Bull signed back in 2022.
Instead, it is understood that the clause forms part of an addendum to the contract that was added more recently.
And even more intriguingly, it has been revealed by insiders that this addition to the original contract was put in place unilaterally by the Verstappens and Marko without Red Bull’s F1 team, nor Horner, knowing anything about it at the time.
Marko was able to do this because he is one of the two directors of Red Bull Racing, so is able to act on the team’s behalf.
Well this is Jonathan Noble, not some fringe outfit looking for clicks. At the least, there are people in the team saying this to him. And the point of the story is exactly that it's unexpected and unusual, so I don't think it's meaningless is it. This was an addendum to the contract, added more recently than 2022, and there often are clauses about other staff so we can imagine how the real effect could have been a bit buried.XRayF1 wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 17:26
I doubt CH would not have known of this contractual add on.
Marko may be one of the Directors of Red Bull Racing, but I also heavily doubt that he would have been allowed to vary in such a significant part (a personal one on top of that!) into a contract of such significance with the top driver. He simply couldn't do it on his own.
Usually, while a Director may sign 'on behalf of' a company, such type of decisions need to go through various procedural steps as written in the partnership agreement and the company rules. Otherwise a company would be open to fraud on a staggering level.
Secondly, as we are talking about a Billion-Dollar enterprise, it would be (perhaps even gross) negligent of any company not having implemented at least a 4-eye-principle for such contract signatures.
Due to this, it indicates to me that CH must have known of the clause in the contract - and not retrospectively.
Quite the contrary.
If he was coerced to agree, outvoted or simply it was seen being unimportant/insignificant at the time, only CH, Marko and Didi Mateschitz know - the VER contract in question must have been signed early 2022, when Mateschitz was still alive (at least it was made public in Feb/March 2022).
I would not put too much into this story of motorsport.com/f1 - it could not have been done that secretly in the first place.
Izzy, believe me I am not doubting Noble as such.izzy wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 19:01Well this is Jonathan Noble, not some fringe outfit looking for clicks. At the least, there are people in the team saying this to him. And the point of the story is exactly that it's unexpected and unusual, so I don't think it's meaningless is it. This was an addendum to the contract, added more recently than 2022, and there often are clauses about other staff so we can imagine how the real effect could have been a bit buried.XRayF1 wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 17:26
I doubt CH would not have known of this contractual add on.
Marko may be one of the Directors of Red Bull Racing, but I also heavily doubt that he would have been allowed to vary in such a significant part (a personal one on top of that!) into a contract of such significance with the top driver. He simply couldn't do it on his own.
Usually, while a Director may sign 'on behalf of' a company, such type of decisions need to go through various procedural steps as written in the partnership agreement and the company rules. Otherwise a company would be open to fraud on a staggering level.
Secondly, as we are talking about a Billion-Dollar enterprise, it would be (perhaps even gross) negligent of any company not having implemented at least a 4-eye-principle for such contract signatures.
Due to this, it indicates to me that CH must have known of the clause in the contract - and not retrospectively.
Quite the contrary.
If he was coerced to agree, outvoted or simply it was seen being unimportant/insignificant at the time, only CH, Marko and Didi Mateschitz know - the VER contract in question must have been signed early 2022, when Mateschitz was still alive (at least it was made public in Feb/March 2022).
I would not put too much into this story of motorsport.com/f1 - it could not have been done that secretly in the first place.
If we're joining up dots then this belongs with the leaking, what Jos has been saying, the saga with Helmut saying he might be suspended, Max's support and that apparently winning. And with the lawsuits and lawyers that a PA can afford now.
And the fact that there are presumably quite senior people briefing mainstream journos with this means things are getting polarised generally in the team. I can't wait for Thursday F1, all of a sudden!
that's a fair reply and I appreciate what you're saying. It's hard to judge isn't it, but Jonathan Noble was briefed with it, I think we can accept can't we. So it's part of the power struggle as you say, and shows how the gangs are forming, with Helmut manoeuvring and needing Max's support.XRayF1 wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 22:24
Izzy, believe me I am not doubting Noble as such.
Neither am I dismissing the case altogether.
But we also need to see that there is a power struggle going on at least at RBR, perhaps even Red Bull, the Austrian parent.
So Jonathan may have been equally pegged by someone of the pro-Horner/pro-Thai faction. We do not know.
However what I know and thus making me somewhat biased as I work in an international company of RBR size, company rules like such are put in place to prevent exactly such singlehanded contract changes, or new contract awards. Such as Marko allegedly did.
Knowing this raises doubts of the validity of the content of the article. To me.
But perhaps only to me.
Who do the Austrian faction want to put in place as team principal and why would they be an improvement on Horner?izzy wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 23:06that's a fair reply and I appreciate what you're saying. It's hard to judge isn't it, but Jonathan Noble was briefed with it, I think we can accept can't we. So it's part of the power struggle as you say, and shows how the gangs are forming, with Helmut manoeuvring and needing Max's support.
Jos!!!JordanMugen wrote: ↑20 Mar 2024, 08:55Who do the Austrian faction want to put in place as team principal and why would they be an improvement on Horner?izzy wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 23:06that's a fair reply and I appreciate what you're saying. It's hard to judge isn't it, but Jonathan Noble was briefed with it, I think we can accept can't we. So it's part of the power struggle as you say, and shows how the gangs are forming, with Helmut manoeuvring and needing Max's support.
A. Put the scandal behind them, lessen the controversy and brand damage of being seen as covering up misconduct.JordanMugen wrote: ↑20 Mar 2024, 08:55Who do the Austrian faction want to put in place as team principal and why would they be an improvement on Horner?izzy wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 23:06that's a fair reply and I appreciate what you're saying. It's hard to judge isn't it, but Jonathan Noble was briefed with it, I think we can accept can't we. So it's part of the power struggle as you say, and shows how the gangs are forming, with Helmut manoeuvring and needing Max's support.