When the final lap of the 2025 season faded into silence at Yas Marina, attention in the Red Bull camp quickly shifted from the title fight to an unexpected topic: Helmut Marko’s future.
The energy drink company’s long-standing powerbroker, speaking with an uncharacteristic air of hesitation after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, acknowledged that conversations about his role with Red Bull are imminent – and potentially decisive.
“It’s not in doubt, but I will have a discussion and then I see what I do,” he told reporters after Sunday’s finale. “It’s a complex [set] of different things. I have to sleep over it and then will we see.”
His choice of words raised eyebrows in the paddock. For a figure who has long projected ironclad certainty, the ambiguity was striking.
Mekies Admits Red Bull May Reshape Itself
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, who took over from Christian Horner in July amid a volatile campaign for the Milton Keynes-based outfit, didn’t dismiss the possibility of internal restructuring.
“Helmut has been incredible in how supportive he has been into helping us turning around things this year,” Mekies said, reflecting on the team’s recovery effort.
He noted that the organisation has evolved under immense pressure — and must continue to do so.
“Obviously, him and top management had quite a few difficult decisions to make in the year, and of course, we always know F1 is not a static environment. You always adjust your organisations,” he explained.
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While insisting he was not speaking specifically about Marko, Mekies left the door open to changes.
“It applies to technical, it applies to sporting and it’s completely normal that we review how we can improve the way we operate all the time. I’m not saying that specifically for Helmut, but... we always challenge each other and look for the next steps.
“But I can only thank Helmut for the role he has played into making fundamentally better what looked like a difficult situation mid-season.”
Emotional Scenes On the Red Bull Pitwall
Even as speculation swirled around Marko’s future, the human toll of Red Bull’s season was evident on the team’s pit wall on Sunday evening. Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero “GP” Lambiase, was visibly emotional after the chequered flag – a moment that caught the attention of both cameras and teammates, including Marko.
Lambiase has endured a taxing year, missing the Austrian and Belgian rounds for personal reasons, with Simon Rennie stepping in temporarily.
Verstappen, who lost the title but not his loyalty to his engineering partner, opened up about the strain both he and Lambiase carried.
“It’s been an emotional year. Forget about the results this year and I don’t want to go too much into detail, but it’s been tough,” he said.
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Still, the Dutchman emphasised the strength of their bond:
“I’m very happy to be able to work with someone that passionate. Of course, he is my race engineer, but I see him as my friend. We have lived through so many emotional things together and fantastic achievements.
“I’m sure he was a bit emotional after the flag. So, I’m really looking forward to leaving here and catching up with him because it’s not been easy at times for him.”
And he ended on a note of deep appreciation:
“I’m just very proud to be able to work with someone that good. A proper example of someone that never gave up this season, even through the difficult times.”
What Happens Now?
As Red Bull faces a winter of reflection – one that begins with the sting of a lost championship campaign – Marko’s uncertain wording has cast a new layer of intrigue over the team’s future structure.
Will he stay through the 2026 regulation overhaul, or is the F1 veteran preparing to step aside?
For now, even Marko himself seems unsure. After a season of shifting dynamics, internal pressures, and emotional highs and lows, the next steps inside Red Bull may be as fascinating as anything happening on track.
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