Red Bull F1 boss Helmut Marko blames girlfriend for stars' downfall

Daniel Ricciardo and Helmut Marko in the Red Bull garage at the Chinese GP 2017 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull boss blames girlfriend for F1 stars' downfall

Helmut Marko has pinpointed a bizarre reason for driver decline

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 7 October 2024 17:58 Updated: 13:21

A Red Bull boss has blamed a ‘girlfriend’ for being responsible for the downfall of certain Formula 1 stars.

Visa Cash App RB have made two mid-season driver swaps during the past couple of years, with Nyck de Vries dropped in 2023 which allowed Daniel Ricciardo to return to the sport.

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However, the Aussie star has failed to deliver consistently at RB in 2024, being outperformed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Following speculation that the Singapore GP would be his last race, Ricciardo was axed by the team in favour of Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, who will replace Ricciardo for the remainder of the season.

Daniel Ricciardo received a lifeline when he returned to the sport in 2023

Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of the 2024 season

Why did Daniel Ricciardo struggle in 2024?

The reason for Ricciardo’s decline in performance has been widely debated since he was axed from McLaren at the end of 2022, with Christian Horner claiming he picked up ‘bad habits’ at the team.

On the other hand, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko claimed he no longer possessed his ‘killer instinct’, including his trademark late braking style and ‘uncompromising overtaking’.

Lawson’s promotion to F1 demonstrates Red Bull’s re-commitment to youth, after rival teams, such as Mercedes, have opted to sign younger talents like Kimi Antonelli.

Helmut Marko claims 'girlfriends' have caused the decline of driver's careers

When asked in an interview with MotorSport-Total.com whether Marko was impressed by Antonelli, and if he could be the next Max Verstappen, the 81-year-old remained unconvinced.

"I was impressed by his speed," Marko said.

"Max is Max. [Antonelli] has to prove that first. He has to get results now."

When discussing whether Antonelli is a great talent Marko reveals it is ‘not guaranteed’, even if he has had an impressive junior career, claiming that many factors can cause a driver’s decline, including having a ‘girlfriend’.

"There is a driver who then loses his motivation, gets a girlfriend or loses his grip. It has all happened before," Marko added.

Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo Yuki Tsunoda Liam Lawson Visa Cash App RB Nyck de Vries