Marko admits shortage of young talent at Red Bull

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."

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.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.

Recent Posts

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

32 mins ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

2 hours ago

Hamilton delighted with ‘consistently strong day’ in Vegas

Lewis Hamilton was particularly happy with his opening day of running at the Las Vegas…

3 hours ago

Verstappen stuck with 'draggy' rear wing for Vegas

Red Bull fears that its prospects for this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix - which…

4 hours ago

Ferrari and Mercedes admit to plank changes based on FIA’s TD

Ferrari and Mercedes have both modified their car’s floor element in Las Vegas to comply…

4 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton continues on top in second practice

Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on top of the timesheets for the second time in Las…

5 hours ago