Red Bull Formula One advisor Helmut Marko is hanging up his boots after two decades of success, bringing an end to a storied 20-year stint. The 82-year-old Austrian's departure leaves Red Bull with a void left by the loss of its two primary guiding lights in the team's F1 journey.
Since joining the team in 2005, Marko has been instrumental in shaping the careers of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen into four-time world champions. His influence extends beyond just racing strategy, however, as he played a pivotal role in guiding drivers through junior series to F1 debuts with Red Bull's second team.
Marko's decision to step down comes on the heels of a disappointing season for Verstappen, who narrowly missed out on securing his fifth consecutive title at Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 82-year-old expressed that this year's championship loss has made him realize it is time for him to bring an end to his long and intense chapter.
Throughout his tenure, Marko was known for his blunt style and tendency to criticize drivers when necessary, often sparking controversy. He even apologized in 2023 after making comments that suggested Sergio Pérez's heritage was responsible for inconsistent results on the track.
Despite his controversies, Marko has been an invaluable asset to Red Bull, overseeing its driver development program over two decades. He guided numerous young drivers through various junior series before sending them off into F1 with Red Bull. Notable graduates of this program include Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, who underperformed alongside Verstappen this season.
As Marko takes on a new chapter in his life, another young driver has been promoted to take over the reins – Isack Hadjar. While Marko's departure leaves a void in Red Bull's leadership, it remains to be seen whether the team will be able to replicate its previous success without their longtime guiding hand.
Since joining the team in 2005, Marko has been instrumental in shaping the careers of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen into four-time world champions. His influence extends beyond just racing strategy, however, as he played a pivotal role in guiding drivers through junior series to F1 debuts with Red Bull's second team.
Marko's decision to step down comes on the heels of a disappointing season for Verstappen, who narrowly missed out on securing his fifth consecutive title at Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 82-year-old expressed that this year's championship loss has made him realize it is time for him to bring an end to his long and intense chapter.
Throughout his tenure, Marko was known for his blunt style and tendency to criticize drivers when necessary, often sparking controversy. He even apologized in 2023 after making comments that suggested Sergio Pérez's heritage was responsible for inconsistent results on the track.
Despite his controversies, Marko has been an invaluable asset to Red Bull, overseeing its driver development program over two decades. He guided numerous young drivers through various junior series before sending them off into F1 with Red Bull. Notable graduates of this program include Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, who underperformed alongside Verstappen this season.
As Marko takes on a new chapter in his life, another young driver has been promoted to take over the reins – Isack Hadjar. While Marko's departure leaves a void in Red Bull's leadership, it remains to be seen whether the team will be able to replicate its previous success without their longtime guiding hand.
he was definitely one of the key guys behind red bull's success with vettel and verstappen but you have to respect his honesty, even if it was sometimes brutal 
his departure leaves a big hole in the team, especially with this season being kinda underwhelming 
now they gotta find another way to get their drivers to shine 
isack hadjar seems like a good choice tho, let's see how he does 
but at the same time it makes sense that marko wants to retire now he's 82 and all that... anyway i think its cool how marko started this whole driver development program for red bull it brought out some talented drivers like liam lawson 
but now they gotta find someone new who can fill markos shoes or something idk lol isack hadjar sounds like a cool name tho 
82 years old still running the show and now he's hanging up his boots after two decades of domination 
what did we expect from a guy who helped turn Seb Vettel into 4 time world champ? 
wish him luck, he's got some big cleats to fill 
Helmut Marko was like a grandfather to those young drivers, taught them everything they know 
Can't believe he's hangin' up his boots after 20 years of contributin' so much to Red Bull 
. Two decades of success is a huge deal, and he played a massive role in shaping the careers of Vettel and Verstappen into world champs 
Still, you gotta respect his dedication and contributions to Red Bull's driver development program - it's helped launch the careers of some talented young drivers 
. Isack Hadjar's the new kid on the block, and I'm curious to see how he'll do 
Marko's retirement is a big loss for Red Bull F1! 
He brought so much to the team over 20 years - not just winning championships, but also developing young talent like Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda 
, but you can't deny his impact on the sport 
. Now it's up to Isack Hadjar 
to fill Marko's shoes - wish him luck! 
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I'm a bit sad to see Helmut Marko go... he's definitely been an iconic figure in F1 for years 
. His blunt style can be tough on drivers, but you can't deny his track record of producing top-notch talent 
.
He's 82, what did you expect? Anyway, the real question is, how's Red Bull gonna handle this transition? They're not exactly known for their adaptability 
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! The F1 world is about to lose another piece of its soul with Marko's retirement 
. I mean don't get me wrong, the guy was a genius on track but his blunt style was so cringeworthy at times 
. I still can't forget that controversy with Sergio Perez in 2023... like, what is going on here?! 
Anyway, it's sad to see Red Bull lose their driver development guru but Isack Hadjar better bring the heat or else 
He was always going to be too old for F1, tbh. Two decades is a long time and he must've burned himself out 
new kid on the block isak hadjar better bring the heat or red bull's gonna be stuck in neutral 
. anyway, marko's retirement is old news, let's see who else dey got lined up 2 fill his shoes 
. Now it's gonna be interesting to see how Red Bull handles without Marko's guidance... will they find another genius like him or will it take a while? 
The F1 world just lost an iconic piece of history... Helmut Marko was more than just an advisor, he was like a father figure to those young drivers. I mean, who else could make you laugh one minute and roast you the next?