Helmut Marko admits ‘the fire went out’ when Max Verstappen lost F1 championship to Lando Norris

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Former Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has admitted that ‘the fire went out’ after Max Verstappen was beaten to the 2025 Formula 1 world title by Lando Norris.

Last year, when the summer break ended, it looked like Oscar Piastri would cruise to a maiden F1 world championship.

However, a drastic drop in form allowed McLaren teammate Norris to overtake him in the standings while also letting Verstappen back into the mix.

In the end, the title race went down to the wire, with Norris winning by just two points after a tense decider in Abu Dhabi.

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Helmut Marko admits ‘the fire went out’ when Max Verstappen lost 2025 F1 world title

Speaking recently to Austrian news outlet OE24, ex-Red Bull advisor Marko admitted that he ‘desperately’ wanted Verstappen to win the 2025 world title. 

The 83-year-old went on to say that following the disappointing end to the season, the fire ‘went out’, which led to his retirement.

However, he did say that he is now feeling much more ‘relaxed’ being a regular F1 fan. 

Marko said: “I desperately wanted to win my fifth World Championship title with Max – after we didn’t manage that, the fire went out for me. But you need that fire to be successful in F1; you have to put everything else aside. 

“The constant travel, for example, never bothered me. But only now do I realise how pleasant life can be when you’re not constantly rushing from one flight to the next and perpetually stuck in a rut.

“Now I’m just a regular fan and much more relaxed. It starts with the fact that I take much longer in the bathroom after getting up.”

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Helmut Marko says new F1 regulations are ‘nowhere near’ what the racing fans want to see

Ahead of the 2026 F1 season, a new set of regulations was brought in by the FIA, with the aim of promoting better on-track action.

However, the new rules have been heavily criticised, with Verstappen labelling them as ‘anti-driving’.

For Marko, the new regulations have made him skip practice sessions as he admits to having ‘trouble’ getting excited about the sport’s new era. 

He added: “I only watch the qualifying sessions and the races now. Because I’m having trouble getting excited about the new regulations.

“Even though they’ve been adapted, we’re nowhere near seeing the racing I’m used to and that the fans want to see.”