How Max Verstappen eventually led to Helmut Marko deciding he ‘wants to stop’ working for Red Bull

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The upcoming F1 season will mark the first in Max Verstappen’s career that he doesn’t have his close confidante Helmut Marko alongside him.

Helmut Marko announced his departure from Red Bull in the days following Max Verstappen’s championship defeat at the hands of Lando Norris.

The 82-year-old had been a part of the ranks inside the team from the very beginning, heading the Red Bull junior programme that had been an integral part of the Austrian constructor’s success.

World champions such as Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen were courted by the Austrian, as well as many more talents who had come through the Red Bull talent pool to lead successful careers in motor racing.

Like he had multiple times during his career through his divisive personality, Marko had come under fire in the days leading up to his exit, but it is understood that he had left on his own terms.

• READ MORE: Helmut Marko tells Isack Hadjar what he must do at Red Bull to make him ‘proud’

Who is Helmut Marko’s greatest Red Bull Junior Team product to race in F1?

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Helmut Marko’s decision to retire from Red Bull hinged on Max Verstappen’s championship outcome

Speaking on the F1 Insider podcast, F1 journalist Ralf Bach revealed a private phone call he had with Marko, in which the former Red Bull man outlined when he had come to the decision to retire from his role.

“He said that he took it upon himself before the Abu Dhabi race, so the decisive race, and said that if Max does not win the championship title, then he wants to stop,” Bach recalled.

“Because he takes the two points, which were crucial at the end, personally. He takes co-responsibility for it having failed, because it is not Max’s fault.

“He puts himself there on a pillory, and he says, okay, if that doesn’t work, then that would be the right time to deal with my consequences. And so he did that.”

Having previously worked with him for the entirety of his career thus far in F1, Verstappen reacted sadly to the news of Marko’s exit.

The two reportedly recounted their history together in the aftermath, reminiscing on the ‘incredible time’ they shared in the paddock.

• READ MORE: Helmut Marko’s unseen reaction to Gianpiero Lambiase looking upset after the 2025 F1 finale

What Helmut Marko’s exit means for the future of Max Verstappen

Given the important role that Marko played in getting Verstappen to F1, as well as the great success he found in the sport, question marks were raised over the Dutchman’s future at the team without the 82-year-old in it.

However, Red Bull insiders have confirmed Verstappen’s position, noting that the 28-year-old is a lot happier to stay at the team following his restlessness in Milton Keynes that had emerged earlier in the season.

It’s understood that Verstappen has a ‘Marko clause’ in his contract, which would allow him to find greener pastures in the case of Marko’s departure.

Due to Red Bull’s reemergence as a contender for race wins in the latter half of the 2025 season, the four-time world champion has reportedly pledged his future to the team up until the expiry of his contract, at the very least.