Helmut Marko enjoyed great success as part of Red Bull’s F1 setup, and the Austrian has disclosed what he is most proud of from his 20-year tenure in Milton Keynes.
The 82-year-old was present for all of Red Bull’s eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles, and played an integral part in signing the drivers who clinched the feats for them.
Marko was a highly divisive figure during his stint in the F1 paddock and regularly found himself on the wrong side of fans through his blunt opinions on different topics within the sport.
However, his impact on the Austrian constructor can’t be overstated, and he has recently outlined what he feels was the most prominent achievement that he was a part of during his tenure with the team.
Helmut Marko shares what he was most proud of during his 20-year tenure at Red Bull
During an interview with the Austrian broadcaster ServusTV, Marko was asked about the intricacies of his role at Red Bull.
He was the founder of the Red Bull junior driver development programme and was one of the main catalysts in bringing Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel into the fold at Milton Keynes.
When asked what he was most proud of during the 20 years he spent there, Marko said, “I think there were so many great and proud moments, but it was always a team effort.
“An incredible spirit, the so-called Red Bull spirit. You have to know that we beat Ferrari, we beat Mercedes, we beat Honda, the big names.
“And that’s coming from Styria, from the provinces, to the hallowed ground of England. We proved that if you have the necessary courage, the necessary enthusiasm, and of course, the necessary resources, anything is possible.”
Marko’s affiliation with the Austrian drinks company began in 1999, after his RSM Marko racing outfit was rebranded to the Red Bull Junior Team after a sponsorship deal was signed that was gained through his friendship with the late Dietrich Mateschitz.
He was immediately brought on as an advisor to Red Bull and Toro Rosso upon the companies’ purchasing of the Jaguar F1 outfit in 2005, and the Minardi team in 2006.
Helmut Marko also revealed why he didn’t want Max Verstappen to ‘copy’ Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull
Another question that was posed to Marko regarded how he used his experience of nurturing Vettel into a four-time world champion when working with Verstappen at the beginning of his career.
Asked if the prior experience with the German driver had helped, Marko replied, “No, after Sebastian Vettel left us, we weren’t looking for a new Vettel, we were looking for a new winner.
“Similarly, when Max Verstappen’s era at Red Bull comes to an end, we will also look for a new star. It was never our intention to copy anyone, but both are outstanding drivers, both have incredible qualities.
But they have different personalities. And I think that’s the important thing, that we, and also the Red Bull Junior Team, don’t make them into a single entity.
“In front of the camera, we don’t tell them you have to do this and that. They should retain their original identity and develop their naturalness. And that’s how all our drivers have grown up and brought out their qualities.”
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