Mekies: Marko Still Advising Red Bull Behind the Scenes

Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed that Helmut Marko, the team's former long-time motorsport advisor, remains in contact and offers guidance to the team and its drivers despite his official departure at the end of the 2025 season. Marko's two-decade legacy of shaping Red Bull's driver development program continues to influence the team's operations from behind the scenes.

Why it matters:

Marko was the architect of Red Bull's famed young driver program, responsible for discovering talents like Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. His ongoing, albeit informal, involvement suggests his institutional knowledge and sharp eye for talent are still valued assets for Red Bull as they navigate a new era without his daily presence, ensuring a degree of continuity in their philosophy.

The details:

• In an interview on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Mekies revealed that team members, including drivers, still regularly speak with Marko and seek his counsel.
• Mekies stated, "Helmut has remained very open and available to us... I’m sure we are all having chats with him and getting guidance from him, even though you don’t see him turning up at the racetrack."
• He emphasized the enduring impact of Marko's work, noting, "You can’t turn the page of Helmut that has been building this young driver programme for two decades with incredible success. We are living on his legacy right now."
• Max Verstappen separately confirmed he maintains personal contact with Marko, joking about fewer "Austrian-sided jokes" but highlighting their strong personal relationship that extends beyond technical details.

What's next:

While Marko no longer has an official role, his shadow advisory role provides Red Bull with a unique link to its past success formula. The team will continue to operate the young driver program he built, now under new leadership. How Red Bull formalizes and evolves its talent scouting and development in the long term, fully independent of Marko's direct input, will be a key storyline to watch in the coming seasons.