Helmut Marko not leaving Red Bull unless “fired”

Red Bull’s special advisor, Helmut Marko, said that he has no intention of leaving the team anytime soon unless he is fired from his job.

The Austrian, who is mainly in charge of the team’s young driver program, said that he wants to continue for as long as possible. Speaking to Auto Hebdo ahead of the 2022 F1 French GP, Marko said:

“Everything is a story of passion, and I am a great enthusiast. I love this sport and I love winning."

He added, explaining his approach to his occupation in F1:

“None of my activities are stressful for me. I feel good and as long as I can continue to do this job properly and I don’t get fired, I will.”

A personal friend of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, Helmut Marko has been with the team since before they even entered F1 in 2005.

The Austrian has been instrumental in the team’s success. He has handpicked some of the best drivers to have come through the sport in the last two decades. Some of his biggest selections include Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and more.

Red Bull saw “no way” to retain Carlos Sainz after overlooking him in favour of Max Verstappen

According to Helmut Marko, Red Bull were reportedly keen to retain Carlos Sainz despite choosing to promote a less experienced Max Verstappen over the Spaniard.

But following the snub, Marko said that he saw “no other way” to keep Sainz from moving away to rival teams. Speaking to The Red Bulletin following the Austrian GP, he said:

"There was an outcry because some felt Carlos [Sainz] had been overlooked. At the time, I couldn’t see a way of keeping him with us, so he moved to Renault, McLaren and then to Ferrari.”

Marko elaborated on the comparison between Verstappen and Sainz, saying:

"His development was also very good, and the difference between [Sainz and Verstappen] was often very minimal. But despite having less experience, Max was the faster driver, hence our decision to promote him."

Less than one-and-a-half seasons after Verstappen made his F1 debut with sister Toro Rosso, Red Bull felt confident enough to draft him alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

The youngster immediately rewarded their faith in him by winning his very first race with the team in 2016. He subsequently became the youngest ever race winner in the sport’s history.