Marko's departure signifies a key moment in Red Bull’s history

RED Bull Racing has entered uncharted territory following the announcement that longtime advisor Helmut Marko will leave the organisation at the end of the season.

- JEHRAN NAIDOO

After more than two decades of serving as the team’s talent architect, enforcer and strategic voice, his departure is being described internally as the closing of an extraordinary era.

Red Bull’s upper management reacted with an unusual level of emotion. CEO Oliver Mintzlaff expressed “deep regret” at Marko's decision to walk away, emphasising the Austrian’s decisive role in all major strategic milestones that shaped Red Bull Racing into a modern Formula 1 powerhouse.

For a team that prides itself on controlled messaging and competitive focus, the tone of its statement was unusually heartfelt. Marko is not an ordinary executive, he is, in many ways, one ofthe main pillars of Red Bull's F1 identity.

For 20 years, Marko's influence permeated every corner of the organi-sation. He shaped their junior program, oversaw talent scouting, approved high-stakes driver promotions and made the sort of brutal decisions that both elevated and ended careers.