Marko leaves Red Bull: the end of 25 years of controversy and success

Red Bull confirmed that Helmut Marko will leave his role as sporting advisor at the end of the 2025 season. The news came from Abu Dhabi, where Marko met with Oliver Mintzlaff, sporting CEO of Red Bull GmbH, to communicate his decision to retire.

According to the official statement, Marko reflected on his future after Red Bull lost the 2024 constructors' championship. But there is much more behind this departure.

Ford will begin its partnership with Red Bull in 2026 as an engine supplier, and the team's transformation has already begun with multiple changes in leadership positions.

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The creator of the most successful driver academy

Since taking control of the Red Bull Junior Team in 1999, Marko developed a system that brought 18 drivers to Formula 1. His greatest achievement was identifying and promoting two four-time world champions: Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Marko transformed his former RSM team into a global scouting operation. He signed drivers from karting, funded their seasons in junior categories, and constantly evaluated them. "We don't buy stars, we make them," he would repeat whenever someone questioned his decisions.

The most emblematic case was Verstappen, whom he signed directly from European Formula 3 in 2014, when he was just 16 years old. His ability to identify future champions transformed Red Bull into a motorsport powerhouse.

The program he created became the model that other teams try to replicate, although none have achieved the same level of success in producing world champions.

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The controversial statements against drivers

Marko's influence led him to make statements that crossed ethical lines. In 2023, the FIA had to intervene with a formal warning after he stated that Sergio Pérez "could not concentrate like other drivers because he is South American." Red Bull never sanctioned him, arguing that he reported to the parent company.

The attacks against Pérez were constant. In 2022, after a poor result in France, Marko suggested the Mexican "had drunk tequila" the night before. On another occasion, he claimed that "South Americans have many ups and downs," also showing geographical ignorance since Mexico is in North America.

Marko's controversial comments were not limited to Pérez. When Gabriel Bortoleto was announced as a Sauber driver for 2025, Marko publicly labeled him a "category B driver," despite the Brazilian having just won championships in junior categories.

His most recent attack was against Isack Hadjar, a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. After Hadjar crashed on his F1 practice debut, Marko stated that the Frenchman had cried and called that emotional reaction "shameful."

He also sparked controversy by questioning Lando Norris's mental health. According to Marko, the rituals Norris performs before each race evidenced "mental weaknesses." Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, responded that those comments were "in very poor taste" and contradicted F1's efforts to raise awareness about mental health issues.

His most recent episode involved Kimi Antonelli. Marko suggested that the Italian had intentionally allowed George Russell to pass him on track, an unsubstantiated accusation that generated a wave of threats against Antonelli on social media.

Franco Colapinto exposed motorsport's double standard: "We get sanctioned for saying bad words on the radio, but there are people who say completely wrong things or things that generate hate and receive nothing."

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A clean-up that goes beyond Marko

Marko's departure adds to other significant changes at Red Bull during 2024 and 2025. Christian Horner was replaced as team principal in July 2025, after 20 years in the role. Adrian Newey, the aerodynamic genius behind the championship-winning cars, announced his retirement from single-seater design.

All these departures occur before the arrival of Ford as a technical partner. Major automotive corporations have strict policies on discrimination and workplace harassment. Keeping executives with a history of xenophobic comments poses an image risk that Ford cannot afford.

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The challenge of maintaining success without the controversy

For 25 years, Marko decided which drivers moved up or down in the Red Bull system. His ability to identify future champions was undeniable, but his methods left little room for error or human weakness.

Mintzlaff acknowledged in the statement that Marko's departure "will leave a significant void." The challenge for Red Bull will be to maintain the effectiveness of its driver academy with more modern methods.

Other teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren have developed their own driver development systems with more professional approaches. The question is whether Red Bull can continue producing champions without Marko's heavy hand.

The end of Red Bull's old guard

Formula 1 has changed. Social media amplifies every comment. Sponsors demand modern corporate standards. Marko never adapted to this new reality.

For years, Red Bull protected its old guard using corporate technicalities. But Ford will not play by the same rules. Global automotive manufacturers have legal departments that do not allow executives with a discriminatory history.

With Marko's departure, the clean-up of Red Bull's top leadership is complete. Horner, Newey, and now Marko: all of the old executive guard are out before Ford arrives. The old Red Bull, where winning justified everything, no longer exists.

Marko leaves a mixed legacy. He created the most successful driver academy in the modern history of F1. He also demonstrated that he never understood that times have changed.