‘It’s no secret’: Helmut Marko opens up on first meeting with new Red Bull ownership

Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz sadly passed away during the weekend of the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

2022 was a remarkable year for Red Bull, as the team finally claimed their first Constructors’ Championship since 2013, after a dominant campaign which saw Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez win 17 races between them.

Verstappen incredibly claimed 15 of those himself, something which saw the Dutchman break the record for most wins in a single season.

The 25-year-old also set a new benchmark for the most points scored in a campaign, after claiming 454 points on his way to a second consecutive Drivers’ Championship.

Red Bull simply mastered the start of the new aerodynamic regulations, with many now wondering if they can continue their dominant start to the new era of the sport in 2023.

READ: Christian Horner opens up on Red Bull signing Lando Norris

2022 wasn’t all jubilant for the Austrians, though, as they faced the embarrassment of having breached the 2021 budget cap.

If that wasn’t enough, the energy drink-owned side had to deal with the tragic loss of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, whose death was announced moments before qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas.

Unsurprisingly, his replacement has already been assigned, with Oliver Mintzlaff having become the new CEO of the Red Bull F1 side.

Mintzlaff has interestingly already met with team advisor Dr Helmut Marko, who revealed that their “first conversation” was about deciding how to “approach” the team’s “future”.

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“It wasn’t the first time we got to know each other, but it was the first conversation about the future and how we want to approach it,” Marko said, per Austrian publication Kleine Zeitung.

“We have the same basic tendency and he has once again enquired about the team in great detail and has been well informed.

“It’s no secret that we are the flagship of Red Bull. Red Bull Racing has been sensational for a long time in terms of numbers, success and marketing. So we quickly agreed that we wanted to continue the team in this successful direction.”

Of course, AlphaTauri also come under the Red Bull family, meaning they too were part of the discussions.

The Faenza-based outfit endured a woeful season, one that saw them end the year ninth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Some reports have stated that Red Bull are considering selling their sister side, with “everything” being looked into currently by the new CEO.

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“There is always something to do, according to the motto: standing still is going backwards,” Marko said of the winter ahead.

“Continuity is certainly a very important ingredient for success, even if AlphaTauri’s performance was not satisfactory.

“We are in the process of analysing everything. We will see how we set the course for the future.”