Helmut Marko to Step Down, Ending Red Bull’s Founding Era

MILTON KEYNES: Helmut Marko, the 82-year-old motorsport adviser who was the driving force behind Red Bull Racing’s dominance, has announced he will leave the team at the end of the 2025 season, concluding an impactful two-decade tenure.

Marko, the long-time right-hand man of the late Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, has been the pivotal figure in the team’s ascension, overseeing six constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ titles since Red Bull’s formation in 2005.

Marko’s most indelible legacy is his instinct for talent. He oversaw the development of 20 drivers through the Red Bull junior programme, including two of the most successful champions of the modern era: Sebastian Vettel and the current dominant driver, Max Verstappen.

Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of corporate projects and investments and the current head of the F1 programme, praised Marko’s unique role.

“His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our junior programme but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole,” Mintzlaff said. “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.”

Marko, a former F1 driver and Le Mans winner, reflected on his decision in a statement: “The past 20-plus years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey. 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.”

Insiders suggest that while Verstappen is emotional about his close ally’s departure, he has accepted that the time is right for Marko to move on.