Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko reveals details about Max Verstappen’s promotion to Red Bull ten years ago. According to the Austrian, then team principal Christian Horner was not a fan of the idea: ‘Christian disagreed with promoting Max after just four races in 2016,’ Marko says. The Spanish GP would be Verstappen’s first win, now totaling 71.
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Last Friday marked exactly ten years since Max Verstappen secured his first Formula 1 victory. The Dutchman did so in his debut race for Red Bull in Spain, after previously driving for the sister team, then Toro Rosso. Verstappen now has 71 wins and four world titles to his name, but it could have gone differently, reveals former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.
“Carlos Sainz was very disappointed that we didn’t choose him,” Marko tells De Telegraaf. Sainz was Verstappen’s teammate at Toro Rosso. “But for us, it was a clear and simple decision.” However, not everyone agreed with the Austrian about putting the young driver in a Red Bull car so early.
“Christian Horner disagreed with promoting Max after just four races in 2016,” Verstappen reveals. “He was against it. Just like many rivals and critics who heavily criticized me and said Max was still too young and that this was a dangerous move.” With his win at the 2016 Spanish GP, Verstappen became the youngest race winner in Formula 1 history.
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‘Max’s departure would be a big loss’
Besides talking about Verstappen’s past, Marko also briefly discusses his future. The four-time world champion sparked rumors again when he openly expressed doubts about his future during the first Grands Prix of 2026. “Max’s departure would certainly be a big loss, but that’s how it goes in sports,” Marko tells sport.de.
“When someone leaves, a new star takes their place. But it’s not just about whether Max enjoys it. It’s about racing,” Marko refers to the 2026 regulations. For Verstappen, racing under these new rules was a direct reason to doubt his F1 future. “The short-term rule changes are far from enough to get the premier class back on track. To what extent we can return to pure racing, I don’t know.”
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