Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko reveals how his conversation with Max Verstappen went after the announcement of the Austrian’s departure. The former Red Bull executive was instrumental in the Formula 1 career of the Dutchman, who has now won four world titles. Therefore, a sense of ‘nostalgia was in the air’ during the call: ‘Max said we would definitely meet again somewhere.’
Although rumors had been circulating in the paddock for a while, the official confirmation only came last Tuesday: Helmut Marko is leaving Red Bull. The Austrian advisor was instrumental in the Formula 1 career of Max Verstappen, who is now losing one of his key confidants within the team. After a conversation with Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff about his desire to bid farewell to the team, Marko called the Dutch driver the next day.
“It was not a normal conversation. There was a certain nostalgia in the air,” Marko reveals to ORF. “Max said he could never have imagined that he would achieve such successes. It’s all over now and I wished him all the best for the future. And he said we would definitely meet again somewhere.”
‘Max Improves Every Year’
Verstappen was certainly not the only Red Bull talent that Marko brought in – Sebastian Vettel was also discovered by the Austrian – but according to the advisor, the bond with the now four-time world champion was ‘the most intimate I’ve ever had with a driver’. “The fascinating thing was that Max Verstappen got faster, more mature, and better every year,” Marko continues. “For me, there is no end in sight to this development, even though he is already the best driver.”
According to the Austrian, there were also ‘hardly any disagreements’ with the Dutchman. “There were a few, when he did some stupid things in the beginning,” Marko reflects on the early days of Verstappen in the Red Bull family. “But the more successful he became, the simpler his approach also became. He has become significantly calmer, hardly has any outbursts, which of course were there in the beginning. He has become an incredibly perfect, or rather an incredible personality for his age.”
