Sebastian Vettel will not succeed Helmut Marko at Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel will not be returning to Red Bull Racing to fill the void left by the departure of long-time motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko. The four-time world champion, who has been linked to a potential advisory role, will not succeed the 82-year-old Austrian, as Red Bull plans to eliminate the position altogether in a major structural overhaul.

Why it matters:

Marko's exit, following that of former team principal Christian Horner, marks the end of an era for Red Bull and removes two of the most powerful figures from its recent championship-winning structure. The decision not to replace him signals a significant shift in power and management philosophy under Red Bull's sports CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, moving away from a single, overarching advisor figure.

The details:

• Red Bull's leadership has decided not to fill the chief motorsport advisor role held by Marko for over two decades. The position is being scrapped as part of a restructuring.
• Instead of a central advisor, authority will be decentralized to the team principals: Laurent Mekies at Red Bull Racing and Peter Bayer at Visa Cash App RB (formerly AlphaTauri).
• This restructuring leaves no vacant senior role for Sebastian Vettel, who had been openly interested in a future position with his former team.
• Helmut Marko himself indicated last summer that his succession was not a topic of discussion with Vettel, stating their conversations were about "forests, not my job."

The big picture:

The move consolidates a new leadership model for Red Bull's Formula 1 operations, moving from a personality-driven advisory system to a more traditional, hierarchical team structure. It represents a clean break from the management style that guided the team through its most successful periods with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

What's next:

With the chief advisor role eliminated, the focus now shifts to how Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer will operate with increased autonomy. The effectiveness of this new structure will be tested as Red Bull navigates a tightening championship fight and prepares for the 2026 regulation changes without its long-time strategic pillar.