Behind the spin: Why Helmut Marko is really out at Red Bull

Red Bull has confirmed that Helmut Marko, the team’s long-time motorsport adviser and one of the most influential power brokers in its 20-year Formula 1 project, will leave his role at the end of 2025.

Officially, the 82-year-old is retiring on his own terms. Unofficially, the circumstances suggest a far more complicated unraveling of one of F1’s most enduring partnerships.

After two decades as a crucial architect of Red Bull’s racing success – personally overseeing the careers of world champions like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen – Marko’s exit invites scrutiny.

Was this a graceful end to an illustrious career, or the final outcome of an internal power struggle that has simmered since the death of his close ally, Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, in 2022?

Unmasking the Power Struggle

Publicly, Red Bull thanked Marko for his decades of service and presented the decision as a natural step for someone of his age. Yet multiple paddock sources believe the exit was neither sudden nor entirely voluntary.

According to reporting from The Race, the latest fracture came when Marko pushed through the signing of former McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne – a move apparently made against the wishes of Red Bull’s shareholders.

It was not the first time Marko found himself at odds with the company’s post-Dietrich Mateschitz leadership. Following the latter’s passing , the balance of power inside the energy drink giant noticeably shifted, diminishing Marko’s once-untouchable political standing.

Tensions had been brewing long before the Dunne decision. In early 2024, a failed internal attempt to oust Marko unfolded alongside the controversy surrounding Christian Horner, then team boss and CEO.

The fallout strained relationships, and although Marko survived at the time – thanks in part to Max Verstappen’s fierce public defence – the trust internally never fully healed.

More recently, his apology over remarks tied to Kimi Antonelli after the Qatar Grand Prix added further discomfort within the organisation, prompting backlash and unwanted headlines during a volatile season.

Behind the scenes, Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is said to be pushing for a clean break and a modernised structure for both Red Bull-branded F1 teams. Marko, a pillar of the old guard and the architect of the aggressive junior programme that unearthed Sebastian Vettel and later Max Verstappen, appears to have become a casualty of that corporate reset.

What Marko’s departure means for Max Verstappen

Marko’s exit lands at a sensitive moment for Red Bull’s star driver. Verstappen, who missed the 2025 title by just two points, has long credited Marko as one of the fundamental figures behind his career progression – describing him as a “pillar” of the team and even a “second father.”

For years, Verstappen’s contract famously contained a clause linking his stay at Red Bull to Marko’s presence. That provision has reportedly since been removed, but its previous existence speaks to how deeply intertwined their futures once were.

In the short term, Verstappen is committed. He reaffirmed his intention to race for Red Bull at least through 2026 to stop speculation of a Mercedes move, and he remains encouraged by the team’s resurgence in the latter half of 2025 – a charge that nearly delivered an unlikely fifth title.

The Dutchman is also understood to be satisfied with Laurent Mekies’ leadership following Christian Horner’s departure.

• Read also: Red Bull confirms – with regret – Helmut Marko’s exit

But Marko’s departure represents a meaningful emotional and political shift. Verstappen may no longer be contractually tied to him, yet losing a trusted mentor inevitably disrupts the internal dynamics he has relied upon since his teenage debut.

Long-term questions will hinge on Red Bull’s performance under the new 2026 regulations. For the first time, the team will run an entirely in-house power unit, and its competitiveness is far from guaranteed.

If the new era brings instability – competitive or organisational – Verstappen’s future could again become a subject of fierce paddock speculation.

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