Helmut Marko draws football comparison over Christian Horner Red Bull exit

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko compared the exit of Christian Horner to a football coach leaving their club.

Horner's axing from the Milton Keynes-based outfit was announced just three days after the British Grand Prix, where a gamble on a low downforce setup backfired. 

In dry conditions, Max Verstappen had stormed to a sensational pole position at Silverstone before an unexpectedly wet race caused issues for the Dutchman. 

The low downforce setup on his RB21 caused his car to become undriveable in the wet weather, resulting in a shock 10th-place finish. 

It marked Horner's final race in charge of the team he had led for over 20 years, since the beginning of Red Bull in F1.

According to Marko, Horner's departure is similar to a coach leaving their football club, with the two sports possessing similarities. 

"In Formula 1, things develop with the same patterns we see in football," Marko told Kleine Zeitung. "If things don't work out, the coach has to leave." 

Horner's replacement, Laurent Mekies, was announced almost immediately after the Briton's exit was confirmed. 

The Frenchman has been handed a direct promotion after leading Racing Bulls for the past 18 months, and is just the second team principal of Red Bull. 

Ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Marko has praised the transition of leadership, filling the 82-year-old with hope.

"The transition has gone very well," revealed Marko. "Laurent is a people's expert. He goes straight to the people, and hopefully that will have a positive effect."