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Marko admits shortage of young talent at Red Bull

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Helmut Marko sees a lull in motorsport's junior ranks with no outstanding talent coming to the fore, forcing Red Bull to turn to karting in search of tomorrow's stars.

As Red Bull plays musical chairs at Toro Rosso, initiating permutations between Dany Kvyat, Pierre Gasly and its latest recruit Brendon Hartley, the energy drink company sees no one following the Frenchman in its junior bull stable.

"That's right," said the Austrian when asked about the talent shortage.

"There is no one right now in Formula 2 and 3 and GP3, so we took another path and signed four young kart drivers at the end of September," Marko explained.

"One of them is Jack Doohan, the 14-year-old son of MotoGP legend Mick."

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The temporary shortfall, while perhaps problematic for Red Bull, has proven beneficial to Toro Rosso's Brendon Hartley however as the Kiwi seeks to take full advantage of a fortunate opportunity which has come his way.

"There are not so many drivers with a super license," Marko said in Austin.

"Brendon was always fast as a Red Bull junior, he just didn't withstand the pressure and made mistakes."

Marko never lost track of his former junior however, and watched him blossom as "the fastest Porsche driver" in the Le Mans series.

"We always had contact with him, also through personal sponsorship," he said.

"When it came clear that we needed someone, we wanted someone from our pool. Sebastien Buemi had a contract with Toyota which may not have been a problem, but he also has a contract with Dams (for Formula E).

"But Brendon was released so we decided on him," Marko added.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.