Red Bull part ways with influential advisor Helmut Marko: reports

Influential advisor Helmut Marko is leaving the Formula One giants, Red Bull, according to several media outlets on Tuesday.

The 82-year-old Austrian has been front and centre of Red Bull’s remarkable run in F1 since their arrival on the grid back in 2005, helping to oversee six constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ titles.

The 1971 winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours for Porsche is a close ally of Max Verstappen, who missed out on a fifth successive title by only two points to McLaren’s Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Marko was responsible for Red Bull’s young driver programme, and was behind Sebastian Vettel’s four titles, along with Verstappen’s emergence as one of the all-time greats.

The decision to split ways with Marko was said to have been made after talks with Red Bull executives in Abu Dhabi on Monday, including Oliver Mintzlaff, one of the Austrian firm’s managing directors in charge of sports, according to motorsport.com.

His departure comes months after Red Bull sacked team principal Christian Horner, who, like Marko, was at the team for its launch two decades ago.

Red Bull declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

When quizzed on Sunday over his future, Marko responded: “It’s not in question, but I will have a discussion and then see what I do. It’s a complex set of different things.”

Horner’s replacement, Laurent Mekies, hinted changes were afoot.

“Helmut has been incredible in the support he has given us to help turn things around this year,” the Frenchman said.

“Obviously, the management and he had to make several tough decisions throughout the year, and of course, we still have more to make.

“But Formula One is not a static environment: we are always adjusting the organisation, whether in the technical or sporting domain.

“It is perfectly normal for us to constantly review how we can improve our way of working.

“I’m not saying this specifically about Helmut, but in general, we are in an environment where we continuously question ourselves and look for the next steps, no matter how small, to work together.”