Marko responsibility in ‘next Verstappen’ search defined

RB CEO Peter Bayer has clarified Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko’s role in locating the “next Max Verstappen” for the reigning constructors’ champions, which means working more collaboratively.

RB CEO Peter Bayer has outlined Dr Helmut Marko’s role at Red Bull’s sister team, highlighting a close collaboration with Christian Horner and Laurent Mekies.

Speaking exclusively to RacingNew365, Bayer confirmed that Marko has begun working more closely with RB, as Red Bull searches for the “next Max Verstappen” in F1.

That pursuit is ultimately driven by the shareholders of the joint Milton Keynes-Faenza operation, despite RB being more clearly defined as not merely a ‘junior team’ following the winter rebrand from AlphaTauri.

Pushing back against the long-held narrative, Daniel Ricciardo provided RB the experience it wished to blend with the youth of Yuki Tsunoda.

Marko, however, had other ideas. Advocating Liam Lawson be put in alongside the Japanese driver since well before the summer break, a move that ultimately came following last month’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The Austrian was outspoken about Ricciardo’s performance all while the 35-year-old’s RB tenure hung by a thread, underscoring his increased involvement with the team.

When it was put to Bayer that Marko seems to be more integral to operations on the RB side of the Red Bull fence than before and that he appears to be more hands-on now, he replied: “Yeah, I think that’s correct. Because the mission of the team has been clearly defined as that.

“Helmut’s mission has been clearly defined as managing the junior programme, as part of his many responsibilities.

“He’s doing it in close collaboration with Christian [Horner]. Hence you will see Laurent [Mekies, RB team principal] and Christian and Helmut discussing often together.

“Because, ultimately, what the shareholders also want from us is to find that next Max Verstappen, to develop him and to bring him up to the top team.

“Every time somebody gets a chance in this team [RB], in the back of their minds – and that’s driven by Helmut, certainly – is that this kid hopefully will end up in the top team.”

A blessing, not a curse

Although Bayer lists acting as a junior set-up for the main Red Bull team as a fourth priority for RB, he does not feel it is the disadvantage it may have once been.

Whilst the flow of drivers from the support paddock may have reduced in recent years, the Austrian feels the quality is increasing, drawing upon stand-in stars Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto and Lawson to illustrate his point.

“[It] can actually be an advantage,” Bayer pointed out. “If you’re looking at the last young drivers coming into Formula 1, the performance they’ve shown is outstanding.

“We’re also in a very lucky situation nowadays, that F2, F3 [and] the whole pyramid is working now, meaning the guys coming from F2 – if you prepare them well through simulators and all the work these guys are doing with the young drivers in the background – actually come in [and perform].

“Look at Ollie Bearman, look at [Franco] Colapinto, look at Liam [Lawson] last year. The guys are coming out of this pyramid, they jump in F1 and they go, because they’ve got the speed.

“They have to learn processes and procedures, but that’s probably the easy bit… if they have the speed.

“That’s our job [to develop young drivers for Red Bull], but I’ve started to more and more not to see that as a disadvantage, [because] actually, potentially, we can move quicker if one of the youngsters is not performing – we can bring in another one.”