Helmut Marko: Red Bull advisor to leave ahead of 2026 Formula 1 season after 20 years with company

Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko will leave the company at the end of this year, it has been confirmed.

Marko has been an advisor to Red Bull's F1 team since they joined the grid in 2005, plus the Austrian company's second team, Racing Bulls, who made their F1 debut as Toro Rosso in 2006.

The 82-year-old has a strong relationship with Max Verstappen and was understood to have played a key role in 2024 when Verstappen's future was up in the air amid allegations against Christian Horner that were later dismissed.

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Marko has been critical to Red Bull's junior programme and giving young drivers an opportunity to drive in F1, with Red Bull known for its ruthless decision-making.

After news of Marko's exit was first reported on Monday, Red Bull formally confirmed the news on Tuesday. Oliver Mintzlaff, the company's chief executive of corporate projects and investments, said it had been Marko's decision to step down.

"Helmut approached me with the wish to end his role as motorsport advisor at the end of the year," said Mintzlaff.

"I deeply regret his decision, as he has been an influential figure for more than two decades, and his departure marks the end of an extraordinary era.

"Over more than 20 years, Helmut has earned incomparable merits for our team and the entire Red Bull motorsport family. He played a decisive role in all key strategic decisions that made Red Bull Racing what it is today: a multiple world champion, an engine of innovation, and a cornerstone of international motorsport.

"His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our junior program but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole. Names like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen stand for the many drivers who were discovered, supported, and guided to the very top under his leadership. His passion, his courage to make clear decisions, and his ability to spot potential will remain unforgettable.

"After a long and intensive conversation, I knew I had to respect his wishes, as I gained the impression that the timing felt right for him to take this step. Even though his departure will leave a significant gap, our respect for his decision and our gratitude for everything he has done for Red Bull Racing outweigh it.

"Helmut Marko will be deeply missed, both personally and professionally. We wish him all the very best for the future and hope that he will remain closely and warmly connected to the team."

Red Bull's junior team has seen 20 drivers graduate to F1 race seats during Marko's tenure.

Marko: Verstappen title near-miss 'moved me deeply'

In Red Bull's statement, Marko himself said: "I've been involved in motorsport for six decades now, and the past 20-plus years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey.

"It has been a wonderful time that I have been able to help shape and share with so many talented people. Everything we have built and achieved together fills me with pride.

"Narrowly missing out on the world championship this season has moved me deeply and made it clear to me that now is the right moment for me personally to end this very long, intense, and successful chapter.

"I wish the entire team continued success and am convinced that they will be fighting for both world championship titles again next year."

Red Bull F1 team principal Laurent Mekies said on Sunday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: "Helmut has been incredible in how supportive he has been into helping us turning around things this year.

"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.

"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 I'm saying that in general, we are in an environment where we always challenge each other and look for the next steps, no matter how small it is in trying to work together.

"But I can only thank Helmut for the role he has played into making fundamentally better what looked like a difficult situation mid-season."

Will Marko departure impact Verstappen?

Sky Sports' Nigel Chiu:

Verstappen has previously called Marko an "important pillar" of Red Bull and a "second father", such is his respect for the Austrian, who he first met as a 15-year-old in 2013.

Marko helped Red Bull sign Verstappen by fast-tracking him to Formula 1 with just one year in Formula 3 before becoming the youngest F1 driver in the sport's history at 17 years old in 2015.

Verstappen has kept his loyalty with Marko for convincing Red Bull to take what some saw as a risk to get such a young driver into F1 so quickly.

The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028 but his future has been questioned in the last two years amid intra-team tension with Horner, who left the team earlier this year, and the car's performance.

Performance will be the key to whether Verstappen stays with Red Bull, particularly as there are new regulations in 2026 where the pecking order is expected to be shaken up.

Verstappen will have been convinced by Red Bull's development in the second half of this year where they nearly completed an incredible comeback to snatch the Drivers' Championship from McLaren and Lando Norris.

But, he will want to be in a quick car in 2026 too, so even if the Red Bull environment is better than it has been for some years, car performance will come first, so Marko's departure is unlikely to affect Verstappen's thinking about his future.

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