Since 2005, Dr. Helmut Marko runs the business at Red Bull’s Formula 1 team. Now he stepped back. In the interview he explains how this came about. He also says that his last big dream did not come true.
He was “Mr. Red Bull”. Since the brewery empire first competed in Formula 1 in 2005, Dr. Helmut Marko is there as head of motorsport. The 82-year-old turned a “publicity stunt” into a top racing team that won eight drivers’ and six constructors’ world championships. After the season finale last Sunday, in which Red Bull star Max Verstappen narrowly missed out on the title, Marko announced his retirement. Why? He revealed this during an interview in his home town of Graz.
Ask: Mr. Marko, how are you?
Helmut Marko: Well, I feel relieved. For 20 years now, I have traveled long distances around the world to racetracks almost every week. I don’t have to do that anymore. And if so, I do it of my own free will. The pressure is gone. I no longer have to constantly pick up the phone and get information about the drivers or problems with the car.
Ask: Do you also feel melancholy?
Marko: No. At least not yet. Let’s see what it will be like when the new season starts. Of course I will follow what is happening and am already working out how I can get the sector times. (laughs) But I have no doubts that I made the right decision.
Ask: There were also voices saying that the resignation was not your free decision, that you did not leave of your own free will.
Marko: That is not the truth.
Ask: You weren’t forced off the team?
Marko: No. It was entirely my decision.
Ask: How did you come to that decision?
Marko: The idea matured in the season finale. Winning the title after Max Verstappen’s race to catch up in the World Championship – he was at least 104 points behind at the time – would have been the most historic event in the history of Formula 1 for me and the fulfillment of my last big dream in motorsport. I always wanted to become world champion five times in a row with one driver. So far only Michael Schumacher has achieved this with Ferrari. This is something very special.
Ask: The dream shattered, Verstappen only finished second in the World Championship behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Marko: History has repeated itself. Already with Seb (Sebastian Vettel, the editorial team) We won four titles in a row between 2010 and 2013. But in 2014 he only finished fifth and then moved to Ferrari. It was a big surprise that the opportunity arose again this year. I’m not telling you anything new when I say that our car wasn’t actually fast enough to keep up with the McLarens. But they made too many mistakes so we had a chance. The season was a roller coaster of emotions – which unfortunately ended with a setback and the realization that my last big dream will no longer come true.
Ask: Was that the reason for your resignation?
Marko: Yes. Just as Max catching up would have been the perfect ending, conversely it was right to stop now. The insight came the day after the race.
Ask: They are Verstappen’s discoverers and supporters. How did he react to your resignation?
Marko: Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell him in person because he missed the planned dinner due to a problem with his plane. That’s why he only found out a day late when I called him. Of course, we were both a little emotional and melancholic and talked about our time together. We couldn’t and still can’t believe what we’ve achieved. We would never have dared to dream of so much. But Max’s journey isn’t over yet. Now he’s just going on without me. I wished him good luck for that.
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Ask: Has Christian Horner contacted you? You ran the racing team together for 20 years before he was fired in the summer after a power struggle with you.
Marko: No. I haven’t heard from Christian since his dismissal in July and I don’t think that will change again. It’s sad that it ended like this. But sometimes it’s just not meant to be.
Ask: How do you look back on your time at Red Bull?
Marko: That was a roller coaster ride. I still remember how it all started. Didi (Group founder Dietrich Mateschitz, the editorial team) and I bought our driver Christian Klien into the Jaguar cockpit in 2004. During the process I realized that there was more to it and Jaguar was ready to sell the team. I called Didi and just told him: “It’s time.” And the boss just said, “Okay, let’s try it.”
Ask: The rest is history: They led the team to win eight drivers’ and six constructors’ titles.
Marko: We wanted to approach the Formula 1 adventure differently. Victories and world championships were a long way off back then. Our approach was different than that of Mercedes and Ferrari. When we first started in 2005, we said that it would be a success if we could win a race. But what was more important was what was around it.
Ask: What do you mean?
Marko: Our credo has always been “The can is the star”. Everything was designed to ensure maximum exposure for Red Bull. Back then, we even had printing presses from Heidelberg fly around the world to publish the paddock newspaper “Red Bulletin” at the Grands Prix. It was really good! Ron Dennis once felt personally attacked because a portrait of him lacked humor. He was really angry, but we knew it was a good product. We have set new standards off the track.
Ask: Then Red Bull developed into a top team…
Marko: Yes. At some point we reached the maximum and decided that we now had to follow up on the route. Our technical team got better and better and so did the chassis. We climbed slowly but steadily in the World Cup. Suddenly I was negotiating a contract with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, but he didn’t really take us seriously. Didi then decided that we wouldn’t buy stars, but rather develop them ourselves. This is Red Bull’s DNA.
Ask: Sebastian Vettel was the first well-known driver you signed.
Marko: Sebastian was far from being a star back then, but he had at least won a race. Signing him was one of my best career decisions. Didi was a big fan of his.
Ask: How much of the spirit of that time is still in the team today?
Marko: The nucleus and DNA are still the same. But the spirit changed after Didi’s death in October 2022. But he’s back now.
Ask: How do you see Red Bull positioned for the future?
Marko: I can leave the team with a clear conscience. Oliver Mintzlaff has settled in very well after initial difficulties and in Laurent Mekies and Alan Permane we have two very good team bosses.
The interview was conducted for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, „Bild“, “Sport Image”) was created and first published in “Bild am Sonntag”.
