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Everything seems to be falling apart around Max Verstappen at Red Bull, and Ralf Schumacher thinks he ‘underestimated’ just how much he would miss Helmut Marko.
The Austrian was Verstappen’s biggest backer, giving him the chance to race in F1 with Toro Rosso in 2015. Verstappen and Marko had a close bond, with the Dutchman even saying that he would leave the team if he did.
But in 2025, that relationship ended as the 83-year-old left the Milton Keynes outfit. Red Bull believed Marko’s role was no longer needed, but as 2026 has shown, that could not be further from the truth.
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Ralf Schumacher thinks Max Verstappen ‘underestimated’ the impact of Helmut Marko’s exit
The Austrian joined the likes of Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall to have left Red Bull in recent months. Marko said ‘the fire went out’ after Verstappen lost the 2025 title, and the effects of his exit are clear to see.
Red Bull are struggling to produce a competitive package under the new regulations. Verstappen was furious after the British GP as he suffered another rear wing failure, and tension has only been growing behind the scenes.
Verstappen’s engineers are no longer listening to him, and in the background, his camp are speaking to rival teams. He is free to leave Red Bull at the end of 2026 through an exit clause in his contract.
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Red Bull want commitment from Verstappen, expressing frustration over the ‘millions’ they have put into his career. Amidst all of this, Schumacher feels that Marko would have been the person to bring everyone together.
Talking about the Austrian, he said via Backstage Boxengasse: “First of all, I think he’s relatively happy with what he’s got now. Of course, it might not have been an easy decision, but he’s come to terms with it now.
“And let’s be honest, Dr Marko, with all his experience, is brilliant, of course, but perhaps he’s not exactly the youngest anymore. So now he’s back in this new situation.
“Everything’s already changed somehow in Austria. I reckon they’re relying on other people there now. That’s probably also one reason why they weren’t at the track – which was actually a shame, as they weren’t there at all for the Grand Prix.
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“So from that point of view, I don’t think so. But one thing, I think, is certain: the Verstappens underestimated the role Dr Helmut Marko played in that environment – everything he did there, didn’t he?
“And all the people he brought in for the team, everything he sorted out behind the scenes, perhaps even keeping everyone calm during the times when things were really heating up.
“So, I think it’s now quite noticeable that there’s someone missing who can bring the driver, the team and the Salzburg side a bit closer together.”
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