Max Verstappen’s reaction to Helmut Marko Red Bull exit | F1 | Sport

Helmut Marko said Max Verstappen was “a little sad” when told that the veteran Austrian would be leaving Red Bull. Marko, 82, will depart at the end of the year after 20 years as an adviser to the team, while also acting as the unofficial head of their young driver development programme.

Marko was the one who signed Verstappen as a promising teenager and the two developed a very close bond. Last year, at the height of the infighting that engulfed Red Bull, Verstappen effectively shielded Marko from the axe by stating publicly that he would be prepared to follow his ‘second father’ out of the door.

Speaking to Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung, the 82-year-old revealed how Verstappen had reacted to the news of his exit this time around. He said: “I would say he was a little sad about it. We were reminiscing about the incredible time we’d had together.

“Certainly his first victory in Barcelona at 17, then his first win with Honda at the Red Bull Ring, his first world championship title in 2021, or the rain-soaked race in Brazil. There are so many moments and positive achievements from Max. It’s incredible how he has become more and more mature and precise.”

Marko went on to make it clear that there is no danger of Verstappen following through on his previous threat right now as the Dutchman is at peace with his departure. Asked if people should be worried about the four-time champion’s Red Bull future as a result of his exit, the Austrian simply replied: “No.”

But he did make it clear that Verstappen does have one non-negotiable demand that the team must make sure happens, or risk their star driver walk away immediately. Marko added: “Max doesn’t just want to be successful; he wants to be successful in a harmonious environment. If he no longer has that, he’ll quit from one day to the next. But he’s far too young for that now.”

The official annoumcement from Red Bull Gmbh on Tuesday suggested it was Marko’s decision to leave. The press release even contained a quote from Red Bull’s head of sporting projects Oliver Mintzlaff which read: “Helmut approached me with the wish to end his role as motorsport advisor at the end of the year. I deeply regret his decision.”