The outspoken 82-year-old, known for his blunt opinions and brutal driving decisions, is close to Red Bull’s four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen.
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However, Marko has announced his retirement and the decision is not expected to affect Verstappen’s short-term future with the team.
In a statement, Marko said: “I have been involved in motorsport for six decades, and the last 20 years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey. It has been a wonderful time in which 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 time for me, personally, to end this long, intense and successful chapter.
“I wish the entire team continued success and I am convinced that next year they will fight again for both world championship titles.”
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Marko has been criticized in recent weeks for comments that inflamed the situation around Kimi Antonelli at the end of the Qatar GP, in which Lando Norris overtook him in the final laps.
Antonelli received death threats online in the following 24 hours, although Marko’s future at Red Bull was in doubt even before this incident.
Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Red Bull Corporate Projects and Investments, paid a warm tribute to the outgoing Austrian: “Helmut approached me with the desire to end his role as a motorsports advisor at the end of the year. I deeply regret his decision as he has been an influential figure for over two decades, and his departure marks the end of an extraordinary era.
“For more than 20 years, Helmut has achieved unparalleled merit for our team and the entire Red Bull Motorsport family. He was instrumental in all the 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.
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“His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our youth programme, but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole. Names like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen represent the many drivers who were discovered, supported and guided to the 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 intense conversation, I knew I had to respect his wishes as I felt it was the right time for him to take this step. Although his departure will leave a significant void, our respect for his decision and our gratitude for everything he has done for Red Bull Racing outweighs him.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, who replaced Christian Horner in July, hinted that changes would be made behind the scenes during the off-season.
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“Helmut has been incredible in his support in helping us turn things around this year,” Mekies said after Sunday’s race. “Obviously he and senior management had to make quite a few difficult decisions and of course we always know that F1 is not a static environment.
“You always adjust your organisations. It applies to technical (departments), it applies to sporting (departments) and it is completely normal for us to review how we can improve the way we operate all the time.
“I’m not referring specifically to Helmut, but I am saying that, in general, we are in an environment where we are always challenging each other and looking for the next steps, no matter how small, in trying to work together. I can only thank Helmut for the role he has played in fundamentally improving what seemed like a difficult situation in the middle of the season.”
It’s an important winter for Red Bull who, together with Ford, are producing the team’s first in-house engine ahead of the 2026 rule change.
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Verstappen has a contract with the team until the end of the 2028 season but his future beyond next year will be determined by the team’s competitiveness on the track. Isack Hadjar will join the team as Verstappen’s fourth teammate in just over a year.