The Red Bull system has been a conveyer belt of talent in recent years, with drivers such as Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz all being a part of the programme at some point.
Some drivers do not make it as far as the Formula 1 grid however, with only twenty drivers on the grid each year F1 is one of the most competitive sporting industries.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is often the one left with the brutal task of telling these young drivers that they have reached the end of their journey, with the Austrian not being bothered by the cold heartedness of his conversations.
“In motor racing, there is always an excuse for not winning – the engine, the tyres, the chassis and so on,” said Marko.
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“Unfortunately, a lot of drivers are supported by parents who spend a lot of money, sometimes more money than they have, just to fulfil the dreams of raising a son who is a famous race car driver.
“It’s my obligation to tell them when they should go in a different direction and stop wasting money.”
The 79-year-old has developed a reputation for saying it how it is and is not known for pulling any punches when it comes to delivering bad news, recently telling the press that Mick Schumacher’s time in F1 is up as he believes the German will be replaced at Haas by Nico Hulkenberg.
Marko has said that the reason that he comes across as harsh is because a racing driver needs to be able to handle pressure to be successful, so shielding them from the truth or pressure would be counterintuitive.
“We make championships possible,” he said when talking about the Red Bull programme.
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“Of course there is a lot of pressure. But if you can’t stand pressure, racing is the wrong business for you.”
Red Bull have been in a league of their own in 2022, with Max Verstappen winning the drivers’ championship with races to space, unlike last year, and Marko has been as brutal as to shoot down Sergio Perez’s 2023 title hopes before the season has even ended.
Marko simply thinks that Verstappen is unbeatable, so to allow Perez to think he has a chance would be unnecessary false hope, which the Mexican will obviously try his best regardless.