Dr. Helmut Marko, a prominent figure at Red Bull, contemplated leaving the renowned Austrian team at the conclusion of the previous season. Recently, Red Bull Racing has been embroiled in a series of controversies, prompting Marko to question his own position at Milton Keynes. Despite this, the 80-year-old is expected to remain with the team. Marko has now disclosed that he seriously considered parting ways with the team last year.
Marko serves as the Red Bull Motorsport Consultant and is directly employed by Red Bull GmbH, the parent company. Initially, he was on the verge of departing from the team. However, following the unfortunate passing of Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022, Marko found himself facing increased accountability within the Austrian organization. This likely created challenges for him at Milton Keynes.
The Red Bull advisor has now openly acknowledged that he contemplated leaving the team at the end of 2023. While he did not elaborate on the specific reasons behind his potential departure, Marko emphasized the importance of Milton Keynes distancing itself from recent controversies in order to honor Mateschitz’s legacy. He asserted that the team has a responsibility to uphold and continue the late co-founder’s ideas and values.
There were rumors suggesting that the 80-year-old was responsible for leaking internal evidence pertaining to Christian Horner’s investigation to the media. However, the situation has since calmed down. Marko even mentioned that Red Bull chose to disregard the alleged evidence leak against Horner due to its lack of legal substantiation.
Furthermore, Marko made it clear that he would not be suspended by Red Bull. He affirmed that Milton Keynes would strive to the utmost to secure the 2024 F1 world title. Previously, Max Verstappen had expressed his intention to leave the team if Marko were to be forced out.
It appears highly likely that Helmut Marko will continue his association with Red Bull in the foreseeable future. Over the course of more than two decades, he has played a pivotal role in the development of Milton Keynes. Nevertheless, the ongoing controversies may impact the dynamics within the team in the days to come.