Marko reveals reasons for Red Bull exit, and how Verstappen took news

Helmut Marko has explained his sudden departure from the Red Bull F1 team.

Red Bull confirmed on Tuesday following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that motorsport advisor Marko will leave his role after 20 years at the end of 2025.

The 82-year-old Austrian has been an integral figure in Red Bull’s rise to becoming F1 world champions, and was in charge of the team’s driver development programme.

Marko most notably brought multiple world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen into F1.

A statement from Red Bull said Marko had “decided to step down” but there were reports of clashes with upper management.

One flashpoint was Marko’s decision to sign Alex Dunne to the Red Bull driver programme against the wishes of CEO Oliver Mintzlaff and team principal Laurent Mekies.

But speaking to Austrian TV, Marko stressed he left of his own accord.

“We had a difficult season this year,” Marko explained. “It was particularly bumpy in the middle.

"We were 104 points behind in Holland. Then we started a comeback that was certainly unique. But unfortunately, it didn't work out in the last race. We lost the championship by two points.

“Although this comeback was unique, it was still a very bitter disappointment. It hit us particularly hard. Even after the race, I felt that something had been lost.

“I then stayed in Dubai on Monday. That's when I made my decision. Even if we had won, it would have been a good reason to leave this job. But now, in hindsight, because we lost, it's also a good point.”

How Verstappen took the news

Marko said he did not discuss his decision with anyone before calling Mintzlaff.

“I didn't discuss it with anyone, but called Oliver Mintzlaff, the manager responsible at Red Bull, in Dubai and asked if we could meet briefly,” he said. “A kind of championship dinner was planned. And we met before the dinner.

“I told him what I wanted. We discussed for a while whether a partial solution was still possible. I said that if we were going to do it, we had to do it completely.

“That happened ad hoc. The other shareholder from the Thai family was also present. But it was all very amicable and went very well.

“Max should have been there too. There were some problems with his flight, so he wasn't there.

“I called him the next day. It wasn't a normal conversation. There was a certain melancholy in the air. He said he never could have imagined that he would ever achieve such success.”