Red Bull will miss ‘very helpful’ Helmut Marko attribute that even F1 drivers he axed found useful

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The 2026 Formula 1 season will be the first time in Red Bull Racing’s history that neither Christian Horner nor Helmut Marko will be in the paddock representing the team.

Christian Horner didn’t miss a race with Red Bull until he was dismissed after last season’s British Grand Prix.

Laurent Mekies took over from Horner and nearly helped Max Verstappen win a remarkable fifth championship on the bounce.

The end of the 2025 campaign then saw Red Bull announce Helmut Marko’s departure from the team.

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Marko had disagreements with Red Bull over driver decisions, including the proposed signing of Alex Dunne.

Earlier in his career, Marko went over Horner’s head to drop Pierre Gasly after a disappointing start to his career with the team.

However, despite being a divisive figure at Red Bull, journalist Chris Medland has shared the ‘very helpful’ attribute that many within the team thought he brought with him that will be missing in 2026.

It was so beneficial that even drivers dropped by Marko admired the former advisor for it.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about former Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko

Red Bull staff found Helmut Marko’s ‘clear’ messaging on goals ‘very helpful’

Medland was asked if Red Bull will be more tolerant after Marko’s exit on the RACER Debrief Podcast, and he said: “I’m not sure yet, if I’m honest, because obviously he was the figurehead there and was very blunt with the way he dealt with people.

“But speaking actually to different team members who have worked with him, including those who have worked with drivers that had been pretty unceremoniously, they said, at least you know where you stand with him. You’re never in any doubt.

“He would tell you what he thought, what the plan was, what was expected, what you had to do. You were always clear, and you knew what the outcome would be if you didn’t hit those targets, but there was no ambiguity around things.

“And they said that was actually very helpful for a driver to have such clarity over what they were required to do. So in that sense, he could be a loss.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

How will Max Verstappen react to Helmut Marko’s Red Bull exit?

Verstappen has watched many of the most influential figures at Red Bull all leave in the past two years.

As well as Horner and Marko, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall have all departed, and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, has also been linked with an exit.

Marko was nearly forced out of Red Bull at the beginning of the 2024 campaign, but Verstappen saw him as such a valuable ally that he questioned his immediate F1 future should the Austrian be dismissed.

Now, Marko will no longer be in the paddock, although the Dutchman is such a powerful figure at Red Bull that he doesn’t need the support of the 82-year-old for things to go his way.

However, Marko would have been a very useful figure for Red Bull should their 2026 car not be as competitive as Verstappen would like.

He has protected Verstappen throughout his career, but the likes of Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari will be keeping a close eye on his happiness levels if they think they can convince him to quit Red Bull.

Marko would have done everything possible to stop that from happening, but without him by his side, Verstappen’s exit could potentially be more likely without him in the paddock.