Ex-F1 chief Helmut Marko lines up 'Max Verstappen successor'...despite not working at Red Bull

Max Verstappen and Dr. Helmut Marko — Photo: © IMAGO

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Helmut Marko lines up 'Max Verstappen successor'...despite not working at Red Bull

Helmut Marko left his role at Red Bull following the final round of the 2025 championship

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 26 February 2026 08:59

Red Bull's former motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has admitted he already has his eye on the young talent that could be set to take over from Max Verstappen when the champion eventually decides to call time on his F1 career.

The Red Bull star has done a lot for Dutch motorsport, having earned four drivers' championships whilst racing under the Dutch flag with Red Bull.

Verstappen was somewhat of a child prodigy with a huge future ahead of him in racing when Marko discovered his talent at a young age and recruited him to Red Bull's junior driver programme.

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And it seems the Austrian has had a hard time leaving his years of talent spotting behind him having retired from his role as motorsport advisor to Red Bull's many motorsport outfits at the end of 2025.

In a recent Viaplay documentary about young Dutch racer Rocco Coronel, Marko highlighted the driver's talent, even saying he could be the driver to take over from Verstappen when the time comes (despite the fact that Marko no longer has a say in Red Bull's junior programme activity).

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Is this the next Max Verstappen?

15-year-old Rocco Coronel is the son of touring car and Dakar star Tom Coronel and is a rising star in the Dutch motorsport scene.

In 2024, Coronel was selected to join the Red Bull Junior Team following a three-day evaluation process at the Jerez circuit in Spain, which was overseen by Marko.

At 13 years old, he became the youngest Dutch driver to be included in the program, and now, Marko has stated that Coronel could be talented enough to become Verstappen's successor.

After testing a Formula 4 car, Marko decided to fit the Dutch teenager behind the wheel of a GP3 car, revealing his positive impression of the youngster in a recent documentary.

"For his age, Rocco performed extraordinarily," Marko said.

"A GP3 car like that is already quite a fast car, but he did very well.

“He was immediately the fastest. I'm sure that when Max Verstappen stops, we might already have his successor in place.

"He is already very mature and exudes confidence. He explained how he combines racing with school and together we soon knew a route for him.”

Coronel will take the next step on his motorsport journey by racing full-time in the Spanish Formula 4 category in 2026.

Having been guided by the highly-experienced Marko since September 2024, Coronel also revealed that he received frequent congratulatory texts from Red Bull's ex-advisor, saying: "That's very positive, because my understanding is that he normally doesn't append anyone so quickly."

Even with Marko's seal of approval, Coronel has a long way to go up the feeder series ladder before he may get the chance to prove himself with the energy drink giants in the pinnacle of motorsport.

But if Verstappen's recent negative comments about the F1 2026 cars are anything to go by, Red Bull may need to have his replacement lined up sooner rather than later as he continues to speak openly about his desire to retire.

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