Red Bull F1 chief Marko 'stands by' brutal firings

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

Formula 1

Red Bull chief Marko 'stands by' brutal firings

The Austrian has fiercely defended his decisions

Originally written by Kevin McKenna. This version is a translation.

Thursday 21 August 2025 21:00

Red Bull director Helmut Marko has insisted that he stands by the number of brutal driver sackings in his past.

The 82-year-old has been an advisor to both Red Bull Racing and the organization's junior teams since they arrived in the sport two decades ago, seeing the likes of Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel through their doors.

However, despite their success in spotting and developing elite talent, there have been plenty of drivers who have failed to make the grade.

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But Marko has defended the ruthless nature of decision-making at the top level, admitting that it takes a special type of character to succeed.

"I actually still stand by those decisions," he told the F1 Insider Podcast. "More than 95 percent of the drivers who couldn't stay in our program go on to drive in Formula E, WEC (World Endurance Championship), DTM (Deutsch Tourenwagen Masters), or elsewhere

"F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. It requires not only talent, but also special qualities and a certain mental and physical strength."

Who will be Red Bull's next big star?

The Red Bull junior program was also the first step on the path to F1 for the likes of Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, and Pierre Gasly.

Rookie Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda also came through the pipeline, with both vying for a spot alongside Max Verstappen in 2026.

Tsunoda currently occupies the seat having replaced Liam Lawson after just two races at the start of the year, but the Japanese racer has struggled to make any sort of impact, failing to score on any of his previous seven outings.

He trails Hadjar in the standings going in to the final 10 races of the season, with the French-Algerian enjoying a solid maiden campaign at Red Bull's sister team, Racing Bulls.

It promises to be a period of adjustment for Red Bull over the coming months following the sacking of team principal Christian Horner, who has been replaced at the helm by Laurent Mekies.

Red Bull Formula 1 Helmut Marko