Could Red Bull F1 chief make shock return? Steiner 'certain' there is more to come

dr. Helmut Marko and Christian Horner from Red Bull Racing — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Could Red Bull F1 chief make shock return? Steiner 'certain' there is more to come

Has Marko really retired after Red Bull exit?

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 2 January 2026 09:50

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2025 was the year of goodbye's for Red Bull F1 team.

After Christian Horner's surprise sacking in July, the Milton Keynes-based squad moved forward with Laurent Mekies at the helm and four-time champion Max Verstappen managed to cut down his overwhelming title deficit to just two points before losing out to Lando Norris.

But prior to the season finale there was one more shock announcement to come from the energy drink giants as news broke that motorsport advisor Helmut Marko would also be departing the team at the end of the year.

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Marko has been at the heart of Red Bull's driver development programme for two decades and was responsible for highlighting Verstappen's talent as a youngster, but now, he has left not just Red Bull but the sport as a whole... or so we thought?

Is Marko done with F1?

Following the 82-year-old's exit, former F1 team principal Guenther Steiner revealed that Marko’s departure didn’t surprise him initially, but that he hadn’t expected it to come before the conclusion of the 2025 championship.

“I wasn't expecting it to happen that way – I actually thought he'd announce his retirement after next season," the ex-Haas boss told Krone Sport.

Continuing his assessment of what the future may hold for Marko, Steiner made the surprise admission that we may not have heard the last of the Austrian motorsport executive.

“He's not getting any younger, and the constant travel in the Formula 1 circus takes its toll in the long run. But we'll certainly be hearing more from the Doctor in the future – no need to worry about that,” he concluded.

After an explosive exit from the team, Marko hasn't kept quiet and instead spoke candidly to the media about his time working with Red Bull, stirring up more internal drama.

Marko is no stranger to a foreign media exclusive but could there be more to the notion Steiner mentions about Marko not disappearing completely from the motorsport world?

His experience in F1 is unmatched and though his career has been closely tethered to Red Bull, perhaps Marko is just one irresistible offer away from returning to the paddock.

Yes the travel days are long and the calendar even longer in F1, but who's to say one of Red Bull's rivals won't take the opportunity to snap up Marko's affinity for spotting racing talent from a far!

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F1 Red Bull Helmut Marko Guenther Steiner