Helmut Marko lands new Austrian GP role after Red Bull retirement

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Dr Helmut Marko has taken on a new role as ambassador for the Red Bull Ring, home of the Austrian Grand Prix, which will take place on 26-28 June.

The 82-year-old stepped down from his position as motorsport adviser and leader of the junior team at Red Bull at the end of 2025. Speaking during an event in Vienna on Thursday, Marko confirmed his new role to Austrian publication OE24.

Marko worked as an adviser to Red Bull from the time it joined the Formula 1 grid in 2005 and oversaw the Red Bull Junior Team since its founding as a driver development programme in 2001. He was instrumental in the development of four-time champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen and other drivers, including Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly.

“We had a difficult season this year,” Marko said after confirming his retirement in 2025. “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.

Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing

Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing

“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.”

The Milton Keynes outfit is now faced with a tough season ahead as it struggles with the 2026 regulation change. It currently sits sixth in the constructors' standings after the first three rounds of the year. Verstappen is currently ninth in the drivers' standings with 12 points and his new team-mate Isack Hadjar is 12th with four points.

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