Helmut Marko was once one of the most powerful figures in Formula 1, serving as the head of Red Bull’s renowned driver development programme for many years.
The 83-year-old announced his retirement from the sport in December 2025, bringing an end to a remarkable career that shaped modern Formula 1 in countless ways.
Marko cited Max Verstappen’s inability to claim a record-equalling fifth world championship title as one of the reasons he decided to step away from the sport.
Six months on from that announcement, the man Verstappen once called his “second father” has been keeping himself surprisingly busy in retirement.
Despite stepping back from Formula 1, Marko has taken on the role of ambassador for the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, which hosts both the Austrian Grand Prix and MotoGP.
He also owns four boutique hotels in his hometown of Graz, Austria, giving him plenty to occupy his time away from the motorsport world.
However, it is none of those ventures that has captured the attention of fans online, but rather a rather unexpected new hobby involving a matcha whisk.
In a video originally posted to TikTok, Marko was filmed working behind the counter at his Austrian hotel and cafe, Kai 36, preparing matcha drinks for customers.
Marko watched on in apparent confusion as self-proclaimed “matcha girlys” danced around him, before joining the three girls to sit at a table and enjoy their Japanese iced beverages together.
The clip quickly spread across social media, with fans understandably struggling to process the sight of the former Red Bull motorsport advisor in such a setting.
Credit must go to the Kai 36 social media team for convincing one of Formula 1’s most formidable figures to pick up a matcha whisk and embrace the content.
It is a far cry from the high-pressure environment of an F1 paddock, but Marko appears to be settling comfortably into life after the sport he helped define.