Helmut Marko has stated that missing out on a fifth consecutive world title for Max Verstappen last season was the direct reason for his departure from Red Bull Racing. The Austrian, for years an advisor and driving force behind the team’s talent program, refutes that his decision stemmed from fatigue or difficulty with a new generation of drivers.
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“No. The reason was my disappointment that we did not win the world championship in 2025; I wanted to draw conclusions from that for myself,” Marko states in Die Zeit.
Red Bull and Verstappen fell two points short of the world title in 2025, which went to Lando Norris. According to Marko, it was precisely that minimal margin that made the defeat extra painful, because more was at stake than just the championship. “It would have been Max’s fifth consecutive world championship. Only Michael Schumacher ever achieved that with Ferrari. It was a huge disappointment,” said Marko.
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‘Brain of a 25-year-old’
In the interview, Marko also outlines his mindset about ‘absolute winners’, drawing parallels with previous Red Bull champions. “Vettel had won 18 out of 20 races in Formula BMW and was dissatisfied with the two he hadn’t won. That was pure determination.”
About Max Verstappen, Marko says: “Max already gave the impression that the brain of a 25-year-old was in the body of a 15-year-old. He had a crystal-clear goal, partly thanks to his father’s extremely effective and strict training.”
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