Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has decided to leave the team, ending more than two decades of influence as part of the multiple championship-winning set-up.
Marko helped develop young talents through his own team and then in partnership with Red Bull in the early 2000s, before Red Bull entered F1 in 2005. From then on, he served as an advisor to both Red Bull and its sister team – now called Racing Bulls – often identifying and signing young drivers as future options for the Red Bull F1 program.
The 82-year-old Austrian was a close friend of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in 2022, and Marko’s position was threatened in 2024 after a power struggle with then team boss Christian Horner. Despite ultimately beating Horner this year, Marko has now confirmed he will leave his position at the end of the year.
“I have been involved in motorsport for six decades now and the last twenty years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey,” said Marko. “It was a wonderful time in which I was able to help shape and share so many talented people. Everything we have built and achieved together fills me with pride.
“The fact that I narrowly missed out on winning the World Championship this season has touched me deeply and has made it clear to me that this is the right time for me personally to end this very long, intense and successful chapter. I wish the entire team the best of luck and am convinced that they will compete for both World Championships again next year.”
Marko is seen as a key ally of Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen and will leave as the team is now managed by Laurent Mekies, who took over as team boss from Horner in July.
Marko is known for both his impressive ability to spot talents who can reach F1 and his often ruthless approach to underperforming drivers. He was forced to apologize for comments about Sergio Perez’s ethnicity in 2023, and was criticized from some quarters for labeling Isack Hadjar’s tearful reaction to his pre-race crash on his F1 debut in Australia as “embarrassing”.
Red Bull was also forced to issue a statement sincerely sorry for the online abuse directed at Kimi Antonelli after the Qatar Grand Prix just over a week ago, when Marko repeatedly said the Mercedes rookie had deliberately let Lando Norris through late in the race. The team stated that Marko’s claims were “clearly false.”
Marko has also seen his influence on the young driver program affected by changes to the structure in recent seasons – with Guillaume Rocquelin taking on a prominent role three years ago – but Red Bull’s CEO of corporate projects and investments Oliver Mintzlaff says the departure was one he was unwilling to accept.
“Helmut approached me with the wish to end his role as motorsport advisor at the end of the year,” said Mintzlaff. “I deeply regret his decision as he has been an influential figure for more than twenty years and his departure marks the end of an extraordinary era.
“For more than twenty years, Helmut has earned incomparable merit for our team and the entire Red Bull motorsport family. He played a decisive role in all the key strategic decisions that have made Red Bull Racing what it is today: a multiple world champion, an engine of innovation and a cornerstone of international motorsport.”
“His instinct for exceptional talent has not only shaped our junior programme, but has also had a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole. Names such as Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen stand for the many drivers who were discovered, supported and guided to the top under his leadership. His passion, his courage to make clear decisions and his ability to discover potential will remain unforgettable.”
“After a long and intensive conversation, I knew I had to respect his wishes as I got the impression that the timing felt right for him to take this step. Even though his departure will leave a significant void, our respect for his decision and our gratitude for everything he has done for Red Bull Racing outweighs it.
“Helmut Marko will be greatly missed, both personally and professionally. We wish him all the best for the future and hope that he will remain closely and warmly associated with the team.”
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