Oracle Red Bull Racing confirm Helmut Marko’s departure

Oracle Red Bull Racing have announced that their motorsport advisor, Dr Helmut Marko, will be leaving his role at the end of the year.

Marko has been key in Red Bull producing a massive driver talent pool, having been one of the driving forces of the Red Bull Junior Programme. Staying with Red Bull for over 20 years, he was key in the Austrian outfit signing Max Verstappen back in 2015 and has overseen a total of eight Drivers’ titles and six Constructors’ championships along with 137 Grand Prix wins.

Marko was a racer himself back in the day and turned out for teams like Bonnier and BRM between 1971 and 1972 with a total of nine F1 Grand Prix starts. A career-ending eye injury forced him to step off the track at the age of 29, and he moved to management in 1989 by founding the RSM Marko team, which competed in Formula 3 and Formula 3000.

On his exit, Marko said:

“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.“

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, Oracle Red Bull Racing, said:

“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. 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.”

Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, added:

“Helmut approached me with the wish to end his role as motorsport advisor at the end of the year. I deeply regret his decision, as he has been an influential figure for more than two decades, and his departure marks the end of an extraordinary era. Over more than 20 years, Helmut has earned incomparable merits for our team and the entire Red Bull motorsport family. He played a decisive role in all key strategic decisions that made Red Bull Racing what it is today: a multiple world champion, an engine of innovation, and a cornerstone of international motorsport. His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our junior program but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole. 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. His passion, his courage to make clear decisions, and his ability to spot potential will remain unforgettable. 

“After a long and intensive conversation, I knew I had to respect his wishes, as I gained the impression that the timing felt right for him to take this step. Even though his departure will leave a significant gap, our respect for his decision and our gratitude for everything he has done for Red Bull Racing outweigh it. Helmut Marko will be deeply missed, both personally and professionally. We wish him all the very best for the future and hope that he will remain closely and warmly connected to the team.”