Marko: Audi quote was completely distorted

Outspoken Helmut Marko has hit back at reports he issued a new ultimatum about Red Bull's involvement in Formula1 1, and claims he was misquoted.

Earlier this week BBC quoted Marko declaring: "If we don't have a competitive engine in the near future, then either Audi is coming or we are out."

But Marko told Bild that he was misquoted, "This what an English journalist published, but it is not the truth."

To Red Bull's own broadcaster Servus TV, Marko added: "The interview was completely distorted - we have the original. In short, everything that was published was nonsense but it went all around the world."

"The starting point was that Gerhard Berger expressed a personal opinion that Red Bull and Audi should get together," he explained.

"About this I say: Well, that's Gerhard's opinion. But we currently have a contract with Renault, which still applies until the end of 2016. We are in a difficult situation, but we can only get out of it by working together."

Marko added, "Officially, Audi has spoken neither with us or anyone else. I believe the VW Group has other worries at the moment than taking care of Formula 1."

Meanwhile former Red Bull driver Mark Webber said that Marko’s comments should be taken "with a pinch of salt."

"Mateschitz is the boss and what he says has to be respected," insisted Weeber. "He is having a think about the whole thing and he hasn’t just been around for five minutes, he has been around for a long time and done a lot of good things for the sport."