Helmut Marko has extended his contract at Red Bull by three years. Despite the change at the top, Red Bull haven't forgotten where the current success came from: consistency.
Since the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, rumours of unrest behind the scenes at Red Bull have emerged. Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's new CEO, is said to want things to be different. Christian Horner is said to have wanted to seize power. Marko and Horner were rumoured to no longer get along. Little of this appears to be true with Marko's contract signing.
Whether the rumours were fuelled by the competition to create unrest within the most dominant team in Formula 1 history will probably never be clear. One thing is certain though: despite a change of guard at the top, they still clearly understand what it takes to be successful in F1.
Why Horner is so important to Red Bull
Although Horner was the youngest ever as team boss in 2005, it soon became clear that the Brit knows how to run a team very well. Following the idea of Ferrari, where a solid core was put in place with Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, and Michael Schumacher to achieve success, Red Bull was also built around very strong individuals.
Horner has been in charge from day one. Even in weaker years, they kept faith in their leadership abilities. In this, Red Bull differs enormously from other F1 teams. A team boss hasn't stayed put for so long anywhere else, and that pays off. Christian Horner, therefore, recently extended his contract, keeping him Red Bull team boss until 2026.
Why Newey is so important to Red Bull
One of the first and perhaps the most important reinforcements Horner brought in is also still on board: Adrian Newey. Tempted more than once by Ferrari but never persuaded to actually make the move. Why? At Red Bull Racing he gets everything his heart desires. Everything to be successful.
As Chief Technical Officer, Newey is mainly the designer and creator of the cars. Pierre Waché, a new technical director, was promoted internally in 2018. Together, they ensured the successes of recent years. Newey signed another new multi-year deal in 2023, and Waché is stuck with Red Bull Racing until 2028.
Why is Marko so important for Red Bull
Max Verstappen is the final piece of the puzzle. Besides being a team boss and a strong technical leader, a team also needs a top driver to build the car around. Helmut Marko found that in 2014, in Formula 3. Marko saw that Max Verstappen had the potential to achieve great things. First, he had him make his debut at Toro Rosso, and then Marko was the man who decided Verstappen should drive for Red Bull Racing at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Verstappen is still grateful to Marko and extremely loyal to his mentor. Where Marko goes, Verstappen goes. Verstappen is also loyal to his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. As with Ferrari between 1996 and 2006, Red Bull Racing have been a close-knit team for years. Keeping that together is crucial.
Red Bull have managed to stay steady after Mateschitz's death, which is particularly clever. Many successful teams in the past fell apart after such an event. An ego battle between people who want to grab power within the company. At Red Bull, this does not seem to be the case.
Although Marko is not officially under contract to Red Bull Racing but works for parent company Red Bull GmbH, his role for the F1 teams is undeniable. As a talent scout, he is the man who ensures a continuous flow of talents. Some are more successful than others, but no other team gave more chances to drivers in F1 than Red Bull, and with seven world titles in the past 14 years, Marko can also produce nice stats.
I am extremely glad that they are staying together as a team, just to see how far they can go with their successes?
I still see 2026 as a dark cloud, although that is mostly because i expect a case of the "Dutch curse", i might've just invented that, but it's like, we're never truly on the top in the end. England took over our colonies eventually and then the whole world colonization thing kinda ended after the US were formed. Football, we're almost always at the top, but come short to be the best. Now, with Max, "we" are currently leading, but will it actually get to 7 titles, or even more? I have a hard time believing that, and with 2026 coming, it might not even get to 6. .. of course, this is super trivial and selective, but i still think that Mercedes or Ferrari could leapfrog Red Bull in 2026, when the Ford engines have flaws, or somehow the new aero isn't working or other technical problems etc. It can only get worse from last year, and it might all come at once, but of course i hope not to see that happen. I'd rather see the competition just getting better and better each year, obviously, and for another couple of years.
My point is, I want all the other teams to do their best to beat RB, but for RB to be together, and give their best in defense, as they have been up to now. Likewise with the new rules, and their new engine. I'm interested in how it will be, and may the best win, even if it's the other team, if they're better.
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