Red Bull has confirmed its motorsport consultant Helmut Marko is leaving the team after two decades as part of its senior management team.
Marko has run their junior driver programme and was responsible for promoting Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, who each went on to win four world championships with the team.
A statement issued by Red Bull said Marko “has decided to step down” at the end of the year.
“Narrowly missing out on the world championship this season has moved me deeply and made it clear to me that now is the right moment for me personally to end this very long, intense, and successful chapter,” said Marko. “I wish the entire team continued success and am convinced that they will be fighting for both world championship titles again next year.”
The former Formula 1 driver, and winner of the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours, took up his position at Red Bull after running his own junior team. Now 82, Marko and the team have reportedly parted ways due to a disagreement between him and Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff (pictured with Marko).
However Mintzlaff said Marko “approached me with the wish to end his role as motorsport advisor at the end of the year.”
“I deeply regret his decision, as he has been an influential figure for more than two decades, and his departure marks the end of an extraordinary era,” Mintzlaff continued.
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“Over more than 20 years, Helmut has earned incomparable merits for our team and the entire Red Bull motorsport family. He played a decisive role in all key strategic decisions that 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 not only shaped our junior programme but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole. Names like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen stand for the many drivers who were discovered, supported, and guided to the very top under his leadership. His passion, his courage to make clear decisions, and his ability to spot potential will remain unforgettable.”
Team principal Laurent Mekies said Marko’s departure “is very sad news” for Red Bull. “He has been such an integral part of our team and of Red Bull’s entire motor racing programme for more than two decades. This is therefore the end of a remarkably successful chapter.”
Marko is the latest in a series of senior staff to depart Red Bull over the last two years. Mekies replaced Christian Horner as team principal earlier this year. The team had already lost star designer Adrian Newey to Aston Martin, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber and head of strategy Will Courtenay to McLaren.
Last year, amid a power struggle at the team following allegations made against Horner, Max Verstappen made clear he considered Marko indispensable. “It’s very important that we keep the key people together, because I feel like if such an important pillar falls away, that’s also what I’ve said to the team, that is not good for my situation as well,” he said. “So for me, Helmut has to stay, for sure.”
Verstappen has a long-term contract to drive for Red Bull until 2028 but Marko revealed the existence of an exit clause earlier this year. Although Verstappen did not exercise the option, which was understood to be triggered if he fell out of the championship top three at mid-season, he left questions over his future unanswered for months before confirming his commitment to Red Bull shortly before the summer break.
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“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for his unwavering support, not only over the past months, but also during my early days at Scuderia Toro Rosso,” Mekies added.
“On a personal note, Helmut, along with Oliver Mintzlaff, was the driving force behind bringing me back into the Red Bull family, first in Faenza and then this summer in my current role in Milton Keynes. Helmut is a real racer at heart, always pushing us to the limit, always prepared to take risks in pursuit of our goals.”
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