Helmut Marko says ‘mistakes’ cost Red Bull another world championship that they should have won

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After highlighting a mistake of Red Bull’s that cost Max Verstappen the 2025 F1 title, Helmut Marko has shared another season in which the Austrian constructor should have triumphed if it had not been for some ‘mistakes’.

Helmut Marko recently announced that he would be leaving Red Bull after a 20-year tenure as the chief of their junior driver development programme.

He has been a crucial figure in the careers of every single driver who has filtered through the ranks at Milton Keynes, with some of them going on to be multiple world champions.

The 82-year-old is credited with signing talent that has accrued eight drivers’ world championships in total, but he personally thinks it should have been more if it weren’t for some mistakes in the heat of battle.

• READ MORE: Helmut Marko admits he was wrong about Lando Norris after ‘clearly outshining’ Oscar Piastri

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Helmut Marko recalls how Sebastian Vettel could have won the 2009 world title without his and Red Bull’s ‘mistakes’

In his first interview since announcing his exit from the team, Marko recalled his illustrious tenure at Red Bull to F1 Insider.

The 82-year-old touched upon some of the most intense moments that occurred within the Milton Keynes-based F1 outfit, and one of those was Sebastian Vettel’s late title charge in the latter half of the 2009 F1 season.

After detailing the German’s impressive 2008 campaign with Toro Rosso, Marko said, “Yes, and then he joined Red Bull Racing, together with Mark Webber, in 2009.

“Our car was fierce in the second half of the season, maybe even the fastest. But the whole team were no longer in the race, we made many strategic mistakes.

“We misjudged the tyre wear, and Vettel also made a mistake or two. And yet, I can remember in Brazil, he realised that he couldn’t go on.

“Within minutes, he was completely finished and sat with his head down on his knees for half an hour and was no longer there to be comforted, but that also showed what ambition he has for the world himself.”

• READ MORE: Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen is less ‘intellectual’ than Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull

Helmut Marko previously identified one Red Bull mistake that cost Max Verstappen the 2025 F1 title

In a similar vein to how Max Verstappen replicated Vettel’s feat of securing four consecutive championships for Red Bull, the Dutchman has also lost a title through making a few too many mistakes.

Marko identified Red Bull’s set-up of Verstappen’s car in Hungary as a prime example of the mistakes that led to him missing out on a fifth back-to-back title.

Verstappen languished in ninth place at the Hungaroring, which proved to be the second-worst finishing position for him during the 2025 campaign.

His worst placing, however, was entirely the 28-year-old’s fault.

Verstappen’s clash with George Russell in Barcelona wasn’t his finest moment, and the 10-second time penalty that he was later slapped with had a monumental effect on his title chances upon the conclusion of the season.

The Red Bull star finished fifth at the chequered flag, but was bumped down to tenth after the penalty was applied.

He lost out on nine world championship points that day, which would have been more than enough to outscore Lando Norris at the end of the season.