Sergio Perez negotiations, the next Max Verstappen, and Yuki Tsunoda's future: Key Takeaways from Helmut Marko's recent interview

Helmut Marko recently sat down with the Inside Line F1 podcast, and the Red Bull advisor covered various subjects ranging from Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen to some interesting revelations as well. The Austrian has been a part of the sport for decades now, and he has been pivotal in bringing the team to a place where it has achieved a ton of success.

The Austrian talked about Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, the 2024 F1 season, and a whole lot of other things in his conversation. Let's jump straight into some key takeaways from Marko's interview.

#1. Sergio Perez's departure is imminent

The first glaring point was Helmut Marko pointing out the massive gap between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in points. The veteran was questioned about Red Bull's Constructors Championship loss this season, and the first thing the Austrian pointed out was the gap between the two drivers.

At the end of the season, the Mexican was a whopping 285 points behind his teammate, a gap that's just not acceptable. Perez's season went from bad to worse as the year progressed, and in fairness, if he had been somewhat better, there could have been an argument that Red Bull would have secured the championship.

#2. For the first time, Red Bull's shareholders are involved

A statement that was made in a somewhat cursory manner revealed a lot about how things have changed at Red Bull. Helmut Marko stated that this was the first time a decision for a driver's future would be taken by the shareholders. Sergio Perez's future has been hanging in the balance in general, but the fact that the team personnel, including Christian Horner and Marko himself, were unable to take a call is somewhat alarming.

It's a sign of a team whose modus operandi seems to have changed in the last few years since Dietrich Mateschitz left. One of the keys to Red Bull's success was that this was a team that was run independently, away from any involvement of the boardroom. The fact that this is changing is maybe not the best sign for the short and long-term future of the squad.

#3. Helmut Marko and Co. are not sold on Yuki Tsunoda or Isack Hadjar

Another thing that stood out when Helmut Marko talked about Yuki Tsunoda, in general, was the acknowledgment that the driver made massive strides with the team. At the same time, there was the acknowledgment that Tsunoda was just not the finished product that Red Bull wanted alongside Max Verstappen.

Consistency and reduction of crashes was what Marko touched on, but what was quite evident was that the Austrian was just not sold on the idea of Yuki taking the next step.

The other Red Bull junior also falls in the same category to an extent, as Marko was quick to point out that even though Isack Hadjar had a solid season, the temperament is what he needs to work on. He emphasized that some of the team radio moments from the French driver were a concern.

#4. Arvid Lindblad has been earmarked as the next big thing

The name that Red Bull and Helmut Marko specifically seem very excited about is Arvid Lindblad, and it's safe to see why. The teenager has been brilliant this season when it comes to making an impression in F3. He would be in F2 next season alongside Pepe Marti, and while that should bode well, it is a litmus test for him as well.

If Lindblad continues to show Marko and Horner what he's capable of, it does appear that the team is more than willing to fast-track him to an F1 seat as early as 2026.

#5. Max Verstappen gets Red Bull's complete backing with everything

While Sergio Perez's future continues to be a question mark at Red Bull and is possibly close to an end, it does appear that the team has its arm around Max Verstappen come what may. There was a certain level of bullishness involved in how Helmut Marko talked about the incidents that the driver had this season.

The Austrian more or less echoed the kind of policy that even Horner has had in general, where there is complete support for the driver in whatever situation he's in. With Perez's future in the doldrums and the options to replace him not as promising as the team would have hoped, Red Bull is keeping all its eggs in the Verstappen basket, and this might just be the right call to make.