And that is somewhat striking, because Marko still has a contract until 2026. “Will you see me again next year? Well, we will have internal discussions and we are not in a hurry. During the years of team founder Dietrich Mateschitz I did not even have a contract. For me it is important that I feel comfortable.”
The experienced talent scout has been associated with the team since the beginning of Red Bull Racing in Formula 1, in 2005. It is clear that a number of things have changed internally at Max Verstappen’s racing team and the Austrian branch of the company has taken firm control, especially since the dismissal of team boss Christian Horner in July.
Visiting hotelier and art connoisseur Helmut Marko in Graz: almost all of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contracts were signed here
It became clear earlier this year that Marko does not have all the power. For example, the Austrian wanted to recruit Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne for Red Bull’s talent program. Dunne terminated his contract with McLaren, but Marko was dismissed within Red Bull.
What does Helmut Marko say about missing out on the world title?
The man who brought in Max Verstappen in 2014 had mixed feelings after the season finale in Abu Dhabi. “Of course I am a bit disappointed that we missed out on the title by two points. But at the same time it also gives us a lot of confidence that we have come back like this. It shows that we have the technical expertise in-house. Today it was not really possible, also because Mercedes and Ferrari were not fast enough and could not help us. It is great that we have won the most races this season, but in ten years’ time everyone will only know who became champion.”
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