F1 | Red Bull: Marko renews for two years with Max's push

Helmut Marko will continue his collaborative relationship with Red Bull. During 2023, thanks to the changes at the top of the Austrian group (following the death of the founder Dietrich Mateschitz) and the milestone of eighty years of age, rumors had emerged according to which Marko could have decided to step aside (or possibly be invited to do so) at the end of the ongoing contact, which is expected to expire at the end of 2024.

Also last season, disagreements between Marko and Christian Horner regarding the choice to hire Nyck De Vries (a driver who never fell into Horner's good graces) fueled rumors relating to a possible conclusion to a partnership that has worked in tandem since the beginning of 2005 Everything was then sharply put into perspective by Horner, who described the relationship with Marko as excellent, even if as always happens in all relationships there is not always uniformity of views: “We have known each other for 27 years, and our relationship it's as open and clear as ever, nothing has changed.”

Just over a month before the start of track activity in the 2024 season, Marko signed a new contract with Red Bull GmbH (i.e. the parent company of the group), a practice always followed over the years by the Austrian manager (a great friend of Mateschitz) to then work in the Racing program as a consultant. The renewal of the contract which expired at the end of 2024 is certain, while regarding the duration there is talk of a two-year extension, expiring at the end of 2026. There are those who have read this choice (taken by Oliver Mintzlaff, new head of activities sports teams of the group and the Thai shareholders) the intention to guarantee stability to a team that is experiencing its period of maximum splendor.

But several insiders also saw Marko's renewal as a victory for Max Verstappen. The world champion came out last autumn, flatly denying any friction within the team's top management (“so much nonsense, everyone in the team has a very specific role”) but it is no mystery that the relationship between Verstappen and Marko is the strongest for Max within the Red Bull world. There was talk of a very clear position taken by Verstappen regarding Marko's presence in the team, not exactly an 'aut àut', but a clear desire to continue in the future without changes in management.

After his father Jos, the figure of Helmut Marko was the most important in Max's sporting career. The Austrian manager took a big risk when in 2014 he decided to let Verstappen make his debut in Formula 1 at just 17 years old, and Max has repeatedly underlined that he is very grateful to Marko for believing in him. The Austrian manager continues to be actively involved in the management of the Red Bull Junior program, which in 2024 will support ten drivers competing in five different categories.