His personal relationship with the founder of the energy drinks empire, Didi Mateschitz stretches back long before the company considered owning an F1 team. Having retired from motor racing following an injury, the Marko moved into team and driver management in 1989, founding RSM Marko which a decade later became the Red Bull junior team.

The Austrian discovered Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen and was appointed by Mateschitz as and advisor to the Red Bull team which rose from the ashes of the Jaguar F1 programme in 2005. He was part of the winning team which claimed six constructor titles and either F1 driver championships together with 137 Grand Prix victories.

 

 

 

Marko outspoken troublemaking

Helmut was a hard task master for his protege drivers and over the years hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. As the form of Sergio Perez deteriorated Marko claimed his lack lustre efforts were due to his ethnicity.

“We know that he has problems in qualifying, he has fluctuations in form, he is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] is or as Sebastian [Vettel],” Marko claimed. The back lash was instant and the Austrian was forced to issue an apology which did more harm than good.

When answering questions over his racial slur, Marko replied: ”It wasn’t meant that way. I meant that a Mexican has a different mentality than a German or a Dutchman. But who knows, maybe it’s controlled.” Clearly Helmut remained of the view that Mexican’s lounged around in the heat of the day, under sombreros whilst drinking tequila.

The FIA issued Marko with a reprimand over the comments. Article 1.2 of the FIA’s Code of Ethics states: “There shall be no discrimination between participants to the FIA activities on the basis of race, skin color, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, language, religion, philosophical or political opinion, family situation or disability.”

Norris ignored clear team orders in Abu Dhabi

 

 

 

Red Bull advisor mistakes

At times there were clearly differences of opinion between him and Christian Horner over driver recruitment policy with the Austrian admitting he didn’t always get it right. Just weeks before Nyck de Vries was sacked in 2023, Marko was asked whether he and Horner disagreed often over the Red Bull two teams driver lineups.

“Not often, but sometimes we do. The last one… I would say de Vries. Basically it’s AlphaTauri, but we’re a big family and we get opinions. He [Horner] was not a fan of De Vries. I would say at the moment it looks like he was right.”

With De Vries sacked Dr. Marko went on to admit, that recruiting the young Dutch driver was probably “the biggest mistake of my life.” Clearly the ageing Austrian invested a huge amount of political capital in ramming through that decision which back fired on him.

The Red Bull advisor was reportedly on the cusp of being sacked early in 2024, when it was believed he was the “mole” behind the leaks of Red Bull’s investigation into allegations made against team boss Christian Horner, who was accused of “inappropriate behaviour” with a female employee. The Red Bull boss was exonerated twice by one of the UK’s top legal experts, but an email containing juicy kiss and tell snippets was sent to a number of senior paddock officials ands journalists.

Hamilton says he will “disappear” after Abu Dhabi

 

 

 

Verstappen committed  for 2026

Max Verstappen at the time was credited with saving the career of his mentor claiming the Red Bull advisor along with Mateschitz had “built the team from the ground up.” Further, at the time there was a clause in Max’s contract which meant should Marko leave the team, he was free to go as well – something which Verstappen alluded to at the time.

It appears Marko’s departure from Red Bull was a sudden affair. He was recently speaking about considering his position after the disappointment of Verstappen failing to claim a record fifth consecutive F1 drivers’ championship. He said he was “sleeping on it” yet within 24 hours, once again the long knives from the Sryrian hills in Austria were drawn and the last of the architect’s which built the dynasty of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team was gone.

Following the death of Didi Mateschitz in 2022, the successors at the parent company in Austria have sought to regain control of the Formula one teams which had been delegated completely to Marko and Horner. Of course with the most successful year in F1 history coming for RBR in 2023, Horner was given a shiny new five year contract extension.

Yet Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff was merely biding his time and set about attempting to re-organise the structures and reporting lines to in his view ‘modernise’ the F1 teams. Horner resisted relinquishing any of his duties and so was sacked as soon as the first signs of a crisis in racing results appeared this summer.

Schumacher manager attacked and robbed in violent home incursion

 

 

 

The final nail in Marko’s coffin

Newey is believed to have seen the signs that the writing was on the wall for the future of the race team he had guided to success over 19 years and hi-tailed it off to pastures new in Silverstone.

Marko, the final pillar of the old guard and the architect of the aggressive junior programme that unearthed Sebastian Vettel and later Max Verstappen, is now the latest casualty of Mintzlaff’s clean out.

The reason reported to be the final nail in Marko’s coffin, was the recent signing of McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne, who had been released by the Woking based team. A report surfacing in the Netherlands suggests that Dr. Marko overstepped his authority in contracting the young Northern Irish driver against the wishes of the Red Bull shareholders. 

Norri makes first champion’s decision which affects Verstappen

 

 

 

Red Bull Racing corporate takeover complete

The source suggests Dunne had to be paid not to join after Marko overstepping the line and is now hoping to negotiate a deal with Alpine. With Max Verstappen unavailable for comment, its unclear how the dismissal of his mentor and someone he once described as a “second father” will affect the four times F1 champion.

While the clause allowing him to leave RBR should Marko depart Milton Keynes was removed last year, Verstappen’s future with the Red Bull team is once again in question.

The Dutch driver is committed for 2026, but Red Bull are endeavouring to make F1 history and become the first customer team to build its own power unit. Should the plan not go well, it is expected Verstappen will leave for 2027 given he will have the pick of the F1 teams – all of whom would gladly engage his generational talent.

“Who let the dogs out” was once the anarchistic and rebellious tune which would blast from the Red Bull garage following the conclusion of a Grand Prix. Now the team has seen a corporate takeover completed and only time will tell how this will affect its future success.

 

 

 

Italian media scathing of Ferrari in end of season reviews

“A broken marriage,” is how Corriere della sera described the relationship between seven times F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari team. The dream wedding in Maranello clearly turned sour as throughout the season of 2025, Hamilton attempted to change the way the Scuderia operated.

He repeatedly revealed in media appearances that he had sent in documents  for the management to consider, identifying structural reforms from his winning experience at Mercedes together with suggestions on how thewSF-25 should be improved.

Yet for his efforts he was very publicly slammed by the group president of Ferrari, John Elkann – the man who had been keen to bring Hamilton to the iconic red F1 team…. READ MORE