Marko had Mercedes engine agreement, but leading figure vetoed it

One of the greatest rivals in modern F1 history almost struck a deal during the hybrid era, Helmut Marko declared in the Inside Line F1 Podcast. According to Red Bull’s top advisor, he had a ‘handshake’ deal lined up with Niki Lauda, but it was Toto Wolff who vetoed the agreement. As a result, the team moved to Honda, and won several championships with the Japanese supplier.