'Horner disagreed with promoting Verstappen after just four races in 2016'

Today, everyone recognises and rates the Dutchman as one of the greatest and most successful drivers in modern Formula 1 history, with the numbers backing it up: four world titles, with a fifth slipping away by just a handful of points last year, along with 71 wins, 127 podiums and 48 pole positions to his name at just 28 years old.

Ten years ago, however, the Dutchman was still seen as a hugely promising young talent, but without the level of maturity he is known for today. Despite that, Red Bull still decided to promote him to the senior team at just 18 years old alongside the far more experienced Daniel Ricciardo, who at the time had firmly established himself as the team’s undisputed lead driver through his results on track.

Instead, to the surprise of many, the seemingly risky move immediately paid off. On his very first outing for Red Bull, helped in part by the collision between the two Mercedes cars in Barcelona, Verstappen stormed to his maiden Formula 1 victory - the first of what would become another 70 wins in the years that followed. Kvyat, meanwhile, was demoted back to Toro Rosso, but still went on to enjoy a respectable career that peaked with his memorable podium finish at Hockenheim in 2019.

Speaking to De Telegraaf, Marko revealed Carlos Sainz was left deeply disappointed after Red Bull decided against promoting him alongside Ricciardo, with the Austrian insisting the team had no doubts over choosing Verstappen instead. He also admitted Horner was initially against handing Verstappen a Red Bull seat after just four races in the 2016 season, believing the Dutchman was still too inexperienced for such a major step so early in his career.

The four-time world champion sparked major discussion in recent weeks following comments made after the Chinese Grand Prix, where he admitted he had been reflecting on his long-term future in Formula 1. Marko believes Formula 1 would eventually move on even if Verstappen were to walk away from the sport, with another driver likely emerging as the category’s next major star. At the same time, however, the Austrian fully understands Verstappen’s growing frustration with the direction F1 is taking ahead of the 2026 regulation overhaul.

“Max’s departure would certainly be a great loss, but that’s how it is in sports. When someone leaves, a new one comes along and becomes the star. But it’s not just about whether Max likes it. It’s about racing,” he told Sport.de. The 82-year-old remains unconvinced by the upcoming rules package, particularly because of the heavy focus on energy management, which has already triggered criticism from several drivers over the impact on racing, qualifying and overall safety.

He also feels the adjustments introduced around the Miami GP are nowhere near enough to solve the wider concerns surrounding the 2026 regulations, admitting there are still major doubts over whether Formula 1 will be able to preserve the pure racing element that has always defined the sport: “What has been initiated in the short term is far from sufficient to get the premier class back on track. To what extent we can achieve a return to pure racing, I don’t know.”