Formula 1 Rumor: Marko out at Red Bull as power struggle reaches end (Update)

This rumor is upgraded to ‘fact’ with official confirmation from the Oracle Red Bull Racing team that Helmut Marko is leaving.

Helmut Marko says he is full of “pride” over everything Red Bull has built and achieved in Formula 1.

In a Red Bull statement announcing his exit, Marko said that he was “deeply moved” by Verstappen narrowly missing out on the F1 2025 title to McLaren’s Lando Norris, with the outcome of this season making it “clear” that now is the right time to move on.

Marko said: “I have been involved in motorsport for six decades now and the past 20-plus years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey.

“It has been a wonderful time that I have been able to help shape and share with so many talented people.

Everything we have built and achieved together fills me with pride.

“Narrowly missing out on the world championship this season has moved me deeply and made it clear to me that now is the right moment for me personally to end this very long, intense and successful chapter.

“I wish the entire team continued success and am convinced that they will be fighting for both world championship titles again next year.“

Oliver Mintzlaff, the chief executive of corporate projects and investments at Red Bull, added: “Helmut approached me with the wish to end his role as motorsport advisor at the end of the year.

“I deeply regret his decision as he has been an influential figure for more than two decades and his departure marks the end of an extraordinary era.

“Over more than 20 years, Helmut has earned incomparable merits for our team and the entire Red Bull motorsport family.

“He played a decisive role in all key strategic decisions that made Red Bull Racing what it is today: a multiple world champion, an engine of innovation, and a cornerstone of international motorsport.

“His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our junior program but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole.

“Names like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen stand for the many drivers who were discovered, supported, and guided to the very top under his leadership.

“His passion, his courage to make clear decisions and his ability to spot potential will remain unforgettable.

“After a long and intensive conversation, I knew I had to respect his wishes as I gained the impression that the timing felt right for him to take this step.

“Even though his departure will leave a significant gap, our respect for his decision and our gratitude for everything he has done for Red Bull Racing outweigh it.

“Helmut Marko will be deeply missed, both personally and professionally.

“We wish him all the very best for the future and hope that he will remain closely and warmly connected to the team.”

(GMM) What began as paddock whispers on Sunday night has solidified into a near-unanimous verdict on Monday: Helmut Marko is definitely leaving Red Bull.

De Limburger broke the story bluntly – “Helmut Marko’s departure from Red Bull Racing a fact” – describing how the 82-year-old “made himself increasingly impossible” inside an organization reshaped since Dietrich Mateschitz’s death.

Auto Motor und Sport agrees the exit is real, even though Marko still had a contract through 2026.

The central figure in the move is Red Bull GmbH boss Oliver Mintzlaff, who Bild says has now removed both of the team’s long-time powerbrokers.

“The former chairman of RB Leipzig, now sporting director of the company, had already dismissed Christian Horner in July after 20 years in office. Marko is now the second of the two powerful figures to follow suit,” the German newspaper reported.

According to De Telegraaf, Mintzlaff was enraged by Marko’s public accusation in Qatar that Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli had deliberately let Lando Norris past. Although Marko later retracted the claim, the damage was done – and it was not the only incident.

The Dutch newspaper claims Mintzlaff was already irritated that Marko had interpreted Horner’s dismissal as a personal victory in his own internal power battle. Marko is also said to have pushed through driver signings without approval – Arvid Lindblad “arbitrarily”, and Irish youngster Alex Dunne in secret – with Dunne’s contract sent by mail, bypassing normal channels.

When the company ordered Marko to cancel the deal, Red Bull had to pay “hundreds of thousands” in compensation.

That sequence of events, together with the Antonelli affair, reportedly convinced Mintzlaff the situation was untenable. The pair met in Abu Dhabi on Monday and agreed Marko would go.

Despite the magnitude of the shake-up, De Telegraaf stresses that Marko’s departure will not determine Max Verstappen’s future.

“His departure will not affect the future of star driver Max Verstappen,” the paper reported. “For him, the competitiveness of the Red Bull car next season – under the radical new regulations – will be the deciding factor in whether he stays beyond 2026.”

Red Bull has not yet commented.