Red Bull chief Helmut Marko slams attitude of F1 hopefuls

Helmut Marko, Generic, 2025, Belgian GP — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Red Bull chief slams attitude of F1 hopefuls

Helmut Marko is not always right about future stars.

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 27 November 2025 12:56

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Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has slammed the attitude of young F1 hopefuls from the team's driver academy programme.

The Austrian has been heavily involved with spotting and signing the stars of the future to Red Bull's driver ranks since the team's inception in 2005, but recently admitted that he hasn't always been right about their capabilities.

The energy drink giants are lucky enough to be involved with two teams in the pinnacle of motorsport, Red Bull and Racing Bulls, with a large pool of young stars competing in various feeder series in the hope of proving that they deserve a promotion up to F1.

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One such star is F2 driver Arvid Lindblad, who, with just two rounds to go in this year's championship, is yet to secure a seat in any racing series for next season. With no spot left for him in F2, he has been tipped for a potential move to F1 with junior team Racing Bulls, or the main squad.

But just because stars like Lindblad have found success on their path to F1, Marko has now revealed that not every young talent has what it takes mentally when the ultimate promotion comes their way.

Marko insists he is not to blame for failed drivers

In a recent appearance on F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, host Tom Clarkson discussed the young driver programme and asked Marko: "Have you ever been wrong about a driver?" To which the Red Bull chief bluntly replied: "Yes."

Clarkson then pushed Marko over whether there was anyone he had previously axed from the programme who in hindsight, he perhaps should have been more patient with.

"No, that's not the case. But it was the opposite," the 82-year-old revealed.

"A lot of drivers where I thought they could do great, they didn't in the end. And that was mainly, most of them, nearly all of them had the talent but they were not seriously working or they hadn't the mental strength which is necessary.

"They believe once they are from Formula 2 going to Formula 1 someone is carrying the helmet and the life is nice but it’s opposite.

"The pressure is just as much and you have to deliver every lap so in this pressure, not many could stand."

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