Helmut Marko reveals when he will quit Red Bull

Dr Helmut Marko has played a pivotal role at Red Bull since the side joined Formula 1 as underdogs in 2005.

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has no immediate plans to quit the Milton Keynes-based team or Formula 1, with him set to continue in his role until he’s not “mentally and physically” able to do so.

Marko is a prominent figure in the Red Bull camp and has been since the outfit joined the sport in 2005, although he’s also an important person when it comes to their sister team, AlphaTauri.

A lot of Red Bull’s success has come thanks to the Austrian, who celebrated his 80th birthday earlier in the year.

He’s been responsible for some of the remarkable talents to have come through Red Bull’s junior system, including the likes of Max Verstappen and retired four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

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Vettel was largely responsible for the team’s dominant era from 2010-2013, a period in which the German claimed four consecutive titles.

Red Bull are experiencing a similar level of dominance now, thanks to Verstappen’s superiority.

The reigning World Champion has remarkably won 25 of the last 34 races, dating back to the start of 2022.

Red Bull’s superiority is making Marko hungry to continue with the team, with him not feeling like an “old man limping along”.

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“I’ve only recently had a contract and there’s no title in it,” Marko told Motorsport-Magazin.com.

He added: “As long as I’m mentally and physically fit, and I’m fascinated and enthusiastic about it, and as long as those responsible give me the chance to continue here, I’ll do it too. I don’t feel like an old man limping along. As long as I can make a positive contribution, that’s the important thing.”

Despite his age, Marko has been forced to get used to some new senior personnel, most notably who he reports to.

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Following the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, Marko now reports to Oliver Mintzlaff, the new CEO overlooking new investments and corporate projects.

“We have the flexibility to make quick decisions, which means we don’t have a large board behind us, where it’s much more difficult,” Marko said.

“After Mr. Mateschitz’s death, it wasn’t entirely clear what to do next, but that’s in the meantime settled and we have that freedom and quick decision-making that we had when Mateschitz was alive.”