Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that Sebastian Vettel will not be making a return to Red Bull. The former driver for the Austrian team was previously identified by Marko as the ‘ideal successor’. However, Vettel does not entirely fit what Red Bull is looking for in a replacement for the advisor, Marko now discloses.
Who will succeed Helmut Marko at Red Bull? The Austrian, at 82 years old, is no longer the youngest, and last April he already pointed out his ideal heir: Sebastian Vettel. “It would be great if he could take over my job one day,” Marko said at the time. Although the German world champion had doubts, he did not seem to completely dismiss the idea. Vettel even had discussions with Marko about a role at Red Bull, but the advisor’s succession plan now appears to have fallen through.
“The whole story did not go ahead, because we had more than enough to do with the restructuring at Red Bull Racing,” Marko explains when F1 Insider asks about the Vettel rumors. The Austrian advisor further states that the German former F1 driver also does not have enough time. “This is a full-time job, you can’t just do it for a few races. I don’t think what we’re looking for is a good fit for him.”
Marko’s Future
The team has recently undergone a significant change with the dismissal of Christian Horner and the appointment of Laurent Mekies as the new team boss. Marko himself, like driver Max Verstappen, will remain with Red Bull at least until 2026. “My contract is valid until the end of 2026. We’ll see what happens after that.”
