Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealed that his continued involvement in Formula 1 is largely due to his close relationship with four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
"I have never felt so close to a driver, I admit it straight away. The first time I had a serious conversation with Max, he was 13 years old. Normally I talk to a young driver for 10-15 minutes. With Max it lasted more than an hour," revealed Marko of his connection to 27-year-old Verstappen.
In a recent interview with the Dutch magazine Formule1, 81-year-old Marko also emphasized his commitment to preserving the legacy of Red Bull's late founder, Dietrich Mateschitz.
The Austrian racing veteran, a former F1 driver and Le Mans winner explained: "I still do this job for two reasons: one is Max and the other is to preserve the spirit of Red Bull and Dietrich Mateschitz in the team. At least that's what I try to do, because there is no one who can really replace Didi."
"Max is a great talent and a special person. He is everything that Red Bull represents. The boss always said: we don't buy stars, we make stars. Max is the perfect example of this: direct, available and a great sportsman. It's wonderful to work with a person like that.
"I was also very close to Seb [Sebastian Vettel]," Marko added. Vettel was Red Bull's first World Champion and won four more with the energy drinks outfit with the Doctor firmly in the German legend's corner throughout.
Impressive Formula 1 Career Statistics
As of the 2024 F1 season, apart for breaking just about every record, from youngest F1 driver and so many more, Verstappen has achieved the following milestones in his Formula 1 career:
- World Championships: 4 (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- Grand Prix Entries: 209
- Race Wins: 63
- Podium Finishes: 112
- Pole Positions: 40
- Fastest Laps: 33
- Total Career Points: 3,023.5
These accomplishments underscore Verstappen's significant impact on the sport and his standing as one of the top drivers in the sport's history. And hence the reason why Marko is hanging about to experience history being made first hand.
The 2025 Formula 1 season kicks off with pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit from February 26 to 28. Prior to this, teams will unveil their new cars, with Williams launching on February 14, a collective F1 season launch event at London's O2 Arena on February 18, Ferrari's presentation on February 19, and Mercedes revealing their car on February 24.
Round 1 of the 2024 race season takes place with FP1 and FP2 on Friday 14 March, with FP3 and Qualifying on Saturday and the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday 16 March at Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit.
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