What Red Bull owners have ‘explicitly’ told Max Verstappen about the team’s future after Helmut Marko exit

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Max Verstappen was one of Helmut Marko’s closest allies within the ranks of Red Bull Racing, raising a question mark over the Dutchman’s future at the team after his close confidante’s exit.

Helmut Marko played a massive part in signing Max Verstappen ahead of the swathe of Formula 1 teams who were vying for his signature.

In the end, Marko could offer Verstappen something that no other team could, a dazzlingly quick route to a full-time seat on the F1 grid.

Verstappen reacted solemnly to Marko’s departure, with the pair reportedly reviewing their formidable collaboration together starting from the four-time world champion’s very first days in the Red Bull stable.

Due to the fact that the Austrian executive was such an integral part of Verstappen’s growth from rookie to multiple world champion, questions have been raised regarding the future of the 28-year-old at the team.

• READ MORE: Key Red Bull figure now set to step up as Helmut Marko’s Formula 1 exit gets confirmed

What Helmut Marko’s exit at Red Bull means for Max Verstappen’s future at the team

In an update from Motorsport Nederland, F1 journalist Ronald Vording revealed the latest news regarding Verstappen’s future at the team following the exit of one of his closest confidantes, Marko.

He said, “Max has often publicly defended Marko. The best example is Saudi Arabia last year. In the midst of that whole power struggle with Christian Horner.

When Marko’s position came under pressure, he was actually in danger of being sacked. And Max said, if [Marko] has to leave, then he’s leaving too. So Max had Marko’s full support there.

“That might give the impression that this also has direct consequences for Max Verstappen, but insiders say that it’s a bit more nuanced than that.

“Firstly, of course, there is the much-discussed Marko clause. From Red Bull’s point of view, this has already been neutralised with a kind of side letter.

“But secondly, what Red Bull has now, the Austrian side and also the Thai side in terms of owners, have once again expressed their full commitment in light of all this, and they have made this clear to Max Verstappen.

They have also explicitly entered into that conversation. And Max himself said on Sunday that the atmosphere in the team is up to him, he can see that very clearly now.

“So, under the leadership of Laurent Mekies, Max Verstappen feels comfortable. He even added that he feels better here in Abu Dhabi now than he did a year ago.

“Of course, he was world champion then, and now he is not. But back then, he felt that everything was going wrong at Red Bull. And now there is a sense of calm.”

• READ MORE: Red Bull are about to pay the price for the big mistake Helmut Marko made just before his exit

Helmut Marko’s decisions during his final days at Red Bull may have been the final straw for the F1 team’s owners

Whilst Verstappen was focused on trying to steal the title away from Lando Norris during the final rounds of the season, Marko was busy making questionable decisions.

First of all, the 82-year-old was the subject of bad press yet again, after he blamed Kimi Antonelli for seemingly allowing Norris to overtake him in the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix, which ended up being crucial in the title fight.

Marko was forced to apologise for his words, but that didn’t come before the 19-year-old rookie was sent death threats by internet trolls.

Fans were furious with the Red Bull chief’s comments, with some stating that he shouldn’t be allowed near a microphone ever again.

On top of this, Marko went behind Red Bull owners’ backs to sign Alex Dunne, who has recently been let go by the McLaren junior driver programme.

Unhappy at the secret deal, they tore up the contract, which reportedly ended up costing the team ‘thousands’ of pounds.