Red Bull have ‘internally’ decided if Sebastian Vettel will replace Helmut Marko as exit confirmed

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Helmut Marko is leaving Red Bull after more than 20 years in charge of their driver academy and two decades serving as the parent company’s F1 motorsport adviser.

The Austrian was the right-hand man of the late Dietrich Mateschitz, who installed Marko in charge of the Red Bull Junior Team upon its formal creation in 2001. Marko later retained an instrumental place by Mateschitz’s side when Red Bull took over the Jaguar F1 team in 2005.

Marko has been fundamental to the success of the Red Bull Junior Team, which has brought Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and more into F1. He found rising stars like Antonio Felix da Costa and Pato O’Ward, too, yet never gave them an F1 seat.

Arvid Lindblad will now be the final Junior Team product whom Red Bull have promoted into F1 under Marko’s watch, with the 18-year-old debuting for Racing Bulls in 2026. He replaces another academy product, too, as Isack Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull in 2026.

Which Red Bull Junior Team product was Helmut Marko wrong to deny an F1 career?

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Red Bull rule out hiring Sebastian Vettel to replace Helmut Marko

Red Bull have confirmed that Marko is leaving following the end of the 2025 F1 season. BILD claims that Marko and Red Bull found a ‘mutual agreement’ to enable the 82-year-old’s exit, despite boasting a contract for 2026. But Vettel will not return to Red Bull to replace Marko.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko? Everything to know

Vettel has regularly been linked with a potential return to Red Bull to take over Marko’s roles as their motorsport adviser and head of the Junior Team. The 38-year-old is also open to the idea of moving into management following his retirement from F1 back at the close of 2022.

But while Vettel would generally be receptive to the idea of ​​returning to Red Bull, the parent company has ‘internally’ decided that Marko will not be replaced. Red Bull GmbH chiefs feel Marko’s role is obsolete with managing director Oliver Mintzlaff plus the team’s new regime.

Sebastian Vettel previously spoke to Red Bull about a potential return

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

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Red Bull GmbH replaced Christian Horner with Laurent Mekies as Red Bull Racing’s CEO and team principal this July, after the parent company decided to fire the Briton after 20 years in charge. Marko is now the latest long-time Red Bull Racing boss who has been given the axe.

Vettel previously confirmed that he spoke to Red Bull about a return to the team with whom he won his four F1 titles. But the German, who also took 38 of his 53 career Grand Prix wins with Red Bull, might have to wait for another role to be available to return to Milton Keynes.

Additionally, Gianpiero Lambiase plans to step down as Verstappen’s race engineer after 10 years in the role, with the British-Italian engineer wanting to take up a factory-based role at Red Bull next season. It is unclear who will replace Lambiase as Verstappen’s race engineer.