F1 news: Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko to leave Red Bull ahead of 2026 Formula 1 season
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has announced his exit from the Austrian outfit after 20 years, having overseen six constructor titles and eight driver crowns.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Ayla Vaughan reviews the reasons why Marko may have chosen to leave and predicts who will fill the vacated role.
The rationale for Helmut Marko’s departure
Red Bull announced on Tuesday, December 9, that Marko will depart the Austrian outfit at the end of the year, leaving people to speculate on why he made this decision.
It will be the second key member to exit the team in six months after former team principal Christian Horner was sacked.
One reason Marko might be heading for the door is his age – the former Austrian driver is currently 82 years old, and the frequent travel and large workload of his position is likely too much.
There was also a recent scandal where Marko signed Alex Dunne to the Red Bull Junior Team (after the latter left McLaren’s young driver programme) despite knowing that the higher-ups wouldn’t approve of the decision.
That led to a large sum being paid out to the Irishman, with “furious” Red Bull bosses instructing Marko to “terminate the contract with immediate effect”, according to Dutch news outlet De Limburger.
Moreover, the 82-year-old has a habit of making controversial comments to the media – for example, the rude words he said about Isack Hadjar at the first race of the year after the Frenchman’s crash on the formation lap.
Most recently, Marko believed that Kimi Antonelli purposely let Lando Norris overtake him near the end of the Qatar GP due to both cars being powered by Mercedes engines, which led to the Italian receiving online abuse.
In addition, Marko may have decided to leave because of the team’s downturn in performance, especially in the context of their struggles to find a driver that can challenge Max Verstappen, with Sergio Pérez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda all having been fired.
Marko will nonetheless be greatly missed by Red Bull and Racing Bulls after the success they have achieved together.
Mekies bids farewell to ‘real racer’
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies told Formula 1: “It is very sad news that Helmut is leaving us. He has been such an integral part of our team and of Red Bull’s entire motor racing programme for more than two decades.
“Marko was instrumental in bringing drivers like four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel through the ranks at Red Bull. This is therefore the end of a remarkably successful chapter.
“His departure will leave a void, and we will truly miss him. 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.
“On a personal note, Helmut, along with [CEO] 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.”
Marko also released a statement, saying: “I have been involved in motorsport for six decades now, and the past 20-plus years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey.
“It has been a wonderful time that I have been able to help shape and share with so many talented people. Everything we have built and achieved together fills me with pride.
“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.
“I wish the entire team continued success and am convinced that they will be fighting for both world championship titles again next year.”
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Future of Red Bull junior programme
Marko played a key role in the Red Bull junior programme, advising them regarding which drivers to bring through to Racing Bulls and then Red Bull.
During his two decades with the energy drink brand, he oversaw the progression of 20 drivers to F1, with the most notable being Verstappen and Vettel, who went on to win eight drivers’ titles between them.
The next person in charge will have to support Arvid Lindblad in stepping up to Racing Bulls next season as well as Hadjar, who partners Verstappen in 2026.
Whoever fills the void left by Marko needs to back young racing talent and help them on their journey to F1, meaning a wise and experienced person who has been in the motorsport world for many years would be beneficial.
They will also be required to be in constant contact with junior formula teams, trying to find the next big person in racing and signing them when possible.
The person Marko has earmarked to lead the Red Bull Junior Team is four-time world champion Vettel, with the Austrian telling ServusTV in June that he is the “ideal candidate”.
For his part, the former German driver suggested that it would be impossible to replace Marko, telling ORF TV’s Sport am Sonntag podcast: “He’s irreplaceable. Let’s just leave it at that.”
Ultimately, Marko’s departure is just the latest step in Red Bull’s evolution – one that started with the death of co-founder and co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022.
MORE FROM AYLA VAUGHAN: F1 news: Red Bull and Racing Bulls announce details of upcoming 2026 season launch in Detroit
