Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko is set to leave the company at the end of this year, Sky Sports News has reported.
Marko has been an advisor to the Red Bull F1 Team since it joined the grid in 2005, as well as Austria’s second team Racing Bulls, which made its F1 debut in 2006 as Toro Rosso.
The 82-year-old has a strong relationship with Max Verstappen and was understood to have played a key role in 2024, when Verstappen’s future was up in the air amid allegations against Christian Horner that were later dismissed.
Marko plays a key role in Red Bull’s junior program, giving young drivers the chance to drive in F1 at a club known for its ruthless decision-making.
Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is keen to give the F1 team a fresh start, with Marko’s departure following the summer sacking of Christian Horner as part of a new structure.
“Helmut has been incredibly supportive this year to turn things around for us,” Red Bull F1 team boss Laurent Mekies said on Sunday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen first met in 2013 (Red Bull Content Pool)
“Obviously he and the top management have had to make quite a few difficult decisions this year. Of course, we always know that F1 is not a static environment. It’s always an organization that adjusts.
“That applies to the technical side, and it applies to the sporting side. It’s very normal to always look at ways to improve the way we operate. I’m not talking specifically about Helmut, but in general, no matter how small it is when working together, we are always in an environment where we challenge each other and look for the next step.”
“However, I can only thank Helmut for the role he played in fundamentally improving a situation that looked difficult midway through the season.”
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Will Marko’s departure affect Verstappen?
Nigel Chiu of Sky Sports:
Verstappen has previously described Marko as an “important pillar” at Red Bull and a “second father”, paying tribute to the Austrian, whom he first met when they were 15 years old in 2013.
Marko helped Verstappen sign a deal with Red Bull, rocketing him into F1 after just one year in F3 before becoming the sport’s youngest F1 driver at the age of 17 in 2015.
Verstappen remained loyal to Marko, who persuaded Red Bull to take what some saw as a risk to bring such a young driver into F1 so quickly.
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The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but his future has been in doubt over the past two years due to team tensions with Horner, who left the team earlier this year, and the car’s performance.
In particular, there will be new regulations in 2026, and the pecking order is expected to change significantly, so performance will be the key to whether Verstappen stays with Red Bull.
Verstappen will be confident in Red Bull’s growth in the second half of the year, having almost completed an incredible comeback to snatch the drivers’ championship from McLaren and Lando Norris.
However, he still wants to be in a fast car in 2026, so even if the environment at Red Bull is better than it has been in recent years, Marko’s departure is unlikely to affect Verstappen’s thoughts about his future, as car performance is paramount.
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