Red Bull's Helmut Marko names Dutch driver as his 'biggest mistake'

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko regrets signing Nyck de Vries into sister team AlphaTauri (now rebranded as Visa Cash App Racing Bulls). The Dutch driver made his F1 debut as a full-time driver in 2023. He was released after the first 10 races due to underwhelming performance.

Marko, a senior figure with decades of experience in motorsport administration, is in charge of the Bulls junior driver program. He played a key role in promoting Max Verstappen into F1 as a teenager, identifying his extraordinary talent early.

Even the 81-year-old veteran is prone to mistakes in decision-making. Marko appointed young Dutch driver Nyck de Vries as a full-time AlphaTauri driver in 2023, replacing Pierre Gasly, who moved to Alpine.

De Vries earned Marko's attention after he scored on his F1 debut with Williams at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. He replaced Alex Albon suffering from appendicitis and finished P9.

An impressed Marko pushed him into AlphaTauri. However, the stint lasted only 10 races in 2023 as the sister team fired De Vries to replace him with Daniel Ricciardo. Talking to Auto Sprit, Helmut Marko expressed regret on his decision to bring in De Vries and said, via Planet F1:

“My biggest mistake? That was undoubtedly Nyck de Vries. He did very well on his debut for Williams in Monza. He also had an incredible CV. He was Formula 2 champion and Formula E champion. But for us the stopwatch said that Nyck de Vries was the wrong choice."

The senior advisor added that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had doubts over Nyck de Vries' potential and wanted someone from the junior academy to be promoted to the sister team instead. However, Marko ended up overruling Horner's instincts only to regret his decision in hindsight.

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Helmut Marko lays out expectations for Red Bull's new signing

Red Bull senior Helmut Marko with Liam Lawson (Image Source: Getty)

Red Bull will race with a new driver lineup in 2025 as Liam Lawson has replaced Sergio Perez after the latter was fired following a woeful season. Going against Verstappen, a four-time world champion, is never easy. Hence, Helmut Marko has set realistic expectations for the rookie.

Speaking to RTL, Marko suggested the ideal gap Lawson should maintain compared to Verstappen and said, via motorsportweek:

“He [Lawson] should be within three-tenths of Max in both qualifying and in the race. That should be enough to get points for the Constructors’ Championship. He should also steadily increase his performance—if possible."

Marko also added that Lawson should focus on improving his own performance instead of trying to beat Verstappen. The mindset of overpowering Verstappen is what the 81-year-old believed led to the failures of his previous teammates.

Liam Lawson has raced in 11 Grand Prix in F1, meaning he certainly lacks the experience to compete toe-to-toe with the four-time world champion.