Ralf Schumacher believes Red Bull have made a decision on whether Sebastian Vettel will replace Helmut Marko

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Christian Horner’s sudden departure from Red Bull begs the question of what will happen to everyone who has worked with him for decades.

After 20 years of leadership, some staff may feel that now is the right time to move on too, and there’s no telling what would happen if Max Verstappen departed as well.

Red Bull are undergoing some intense organisational changes and could be a completely different team heading into the 2026 F1 regulations.

Not only could their driver line-up be different, but so could the man who manages their talent pool, with rumours suggesting that Helmut Marko could step back soon.

Horner’s sacking hasn’t impacted Marko’s future, and there has been confirmation that he will remain with the team until at least the end of next year.

However, things can change quickly in Formula 1. Marko did something damning at Horner’s farewell speech and wasn’t even in the building as he bid farewell to his colleagues. It was a harsh moment.

READ MORE: Helmut Marko saw Lando Norris do something ‘sensational’ in the British Grand Prix to end Max Verstappen’s title hopes

Ralf Schumacher believes Red Bull have rejected Sebastian Vettel to replace Helmut Marko

Sebastian Vettel could be the perfect Marko replacement and rumours have suggested that he could be in with a shot of replacing the Austrian in the future.

There have been talks between the relevant parties, who were ‘in talks’ about a potential move back to the team where the German earned his four drivers’ championships.

Verstappen reacted positively to Vettel’s Red Bull rumours and said that there would always be space for him at the team.

However, it appears that Ralf Schumacher disagrees, with the German suggesting that Vettel has been rejected by Red Bull.

“Well, Sebastian Vettel, I don’t think that’s the case,” he said. “I think that was a one-sided story. As far as I heard, he also received a clear rejection and that’s why it’s not up for discussion.”

READ MORE: Ted Kravitz shares the essential advice he ‘learned’ from Sebastian Vettel during his time in the Formula 1 paddock

What has Sebastian Vettel been doing since he left Formula 1?

Vettel retired from Formula 1 nearly three years ago, after a rather disappointing final season with Aston Martin in 2022.

His public appearances have been few and far between since then, but he has attended a few Grands Prix, including the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix.

There, he got all the drivers together to create a bee farm, and he got everyone together again at the 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix for an initiative relating to Ayrton Senna.

In terms of driving, he has tested a hypercar for Porsche with a view to competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but nothing came of it.

And he has been spotted at The Race of Champions, but he hasn’t done anything competitive in a single-seater car since his retirement, just a demo run of his 2011 title-winning Red Bull RB7 at the Nurburgring.