Helmut Marko: Red Bull advisor to leave ahead of 2026 Formula 1 season after 20 years with company

Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko will leave the company at the end of this year, Sky Sports News understands.

Marko has been an advisor to Red Bull's F1 team since they joined the grid in 2005, plus the Austrian company's second team, Racing Bulls, who made their F1 debut as Toro Rosso in 2006.

The 82-year-old has a strong relationship with Max Verstappen and was understood to have played a key role in 2024 when Verstappen's future was up in the air amid allegations against Christian Horner that were later dismissed.

• 'Lando's way' - How F1 got a new kind of champion
• F1 2026: Calendar, line-ups, new regulations, how to watch on Sky Sports
• Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more?
• Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW?

Marko has been critical to Red Bull's junior programme and giving young drivers an opportunity to drive in F1, with Red Bull known for its ruthless decision-making.

Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is keen for a fresh start for its F1 teams, with Marko's departure, which follows Christian Horner's sacking in the summer, part of the new look.

Red Bull F1 team principal Laurent Mekies said on Sunday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: "Helmut has been incredible in how supportive he has been into helping us turning around things this year.

"Obviously, him and top management had quite a few difficult decisions to make in the year, and of course, we always know F1 is not a static environment. You always adjust your organisations.

"It applies to technical, it applies to sporting, and it's completely normal that we review how we can improve the way we operate all the time. I'm not saying that specifically for Helmut, but I'm saying that in general, we are in an environment where we always challenge each other and look for the next steps, no matter how small it is in trying to work together.

"But I can only thank Helmut for the role he has played into making fundamentally better what looked like a difficult situation mid-season."

Will Marko departure impact Verstappen?

Sky Sports' Nigel Chiu:

Verstappen has previously called Marko an "important pillar" of Red Bull and a "second father", such is his respect for the Austrian, who he first met as a 15-year-old in 2013.

Marko helped Red Bull sign Verstappen by fast-tracking him to Formula 1 with just one year in Formula 3 before becoming the youngest F1 driver in the sport's history at 17 years old in 2015.

Verstappen has kept his loyalty with Marko for convincing Red Bull to take what some saw as a risk to get such a young driver into F1 so quickly.

The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028 but his future has been questioned in the last two years amid inter-team tension with Horner, who left the team earlier this year, and the car's performance.

Performance will be the key to whether Verstappen stays with Red Bull, particularly as there are new regulations in 2026 where the pecking order is expected to be shaken up.

Verstappen will have been convinced by Red Bull's development in the second half of this year where they nearly completed an incredible comeback to snatch the Drivers' Championship from McLaren and Lando Norris.

But, he will want to be in a quick car in 2026 too, so even if the Red Bull environment is better than it has been for some years, car performance will come first, so Marko's departure is unlikely to affect Verstappen's thinking about his future.

Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Helmut Marko: Red Bull advisor to leave ahead of 2026 Formula 1 season after 20 years with company