Helmut Marko has explained the reasons behind his shock decision to leave Red Bull upon the conclusion of this year’s Formula 1 season.
The Austrian quit the Milton Keynes-based squad on Tuesday, ending an association which began in 1999 and spanned the whole of the brand’s involvement in F1.
In that time, Marko has been responsible for heading the breeding ground for a plethora of young talent, many of whom have risen to F1.
After a successful run of two Constructors’ Championships and four Drivers’ Championships since 2021, 2025 saw the team lose both titles to McLaren.
However, Verstappen and the team valiantly mounted an extraordinary comeback, the Dutchman being over 100 points off the lead upon the resumption of F1 after its summer break.
But despite Verstappen only losing the title by two points to Lando Norris, Marko revealed to Austrian TV channel ORF that the defeat contributed to his decision to retire.
“We had a difficult season this year,” he said. “It was particularly bumpy in the middle. We were 104 points behind in Holland.
“Then we started a comeback that was certainly unique. But unfortunately, it didn’t work out in the last race. We lost the championship by two points.
“Although this comeback was unique, it was still a very bitter disappointment. It hit us particularly hard. Even after the race, I felt that something had been lost.
“I then stayed in Dubai on Monday. That’s when I made my decision.
“Even if we had won, it would have been a good reason to leave this job. But now, in hindsight, because we lost, it’s also a good point.”
Marko details how Red Bull exit unfolded
The decision for Marko to step back has already gotten the rumour mill cranking about the nature and design of his exit.
Speculation pointed towards displeasure at Red Bull about an alleged arbitrary decision from Marko to sign Alex Dunne to its junior ranks, which was then apparently overruled.
Marko insisted that it was his decision and revealed the moment he told Verstappen about his impending withdrawal from the team.
“I didn’t discuss it with anyone, but called Oliver Mintzlaff, the manager responsible at Red Bull, in Dubai and asked if we could meet briefly,” he said.
“A kind of championship dinner was planned. And we met before the dinner.
“I told him what I wanted. We discussed for a while whether a partial solution was still possible. I said that if we were going to do it, we had to do it completely.
“That happened ad hoc. The other shareholder from the Thai family was also present. But it was all very amicable and went very well.
“Max should have been there, too. There were some problems with his flight, so he wasn’t there.
“I called him the next day. It wasn’t a normal conversation. There was a certain melancholy in the air. He said he never could have imagined that he would ever achieve such success.”
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