Marko looks for drivers 'with balls': 'Red Bull is different from other teams'
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Helmut Marko 's Red Bull Junior Team is purveyor of most of the drivers in Formula 1. So what makes Red Bull's talents so special? According to Vitantonio Liuzzi, it is mainly about the kind of driver Marko is looking for for his team.
Liuzzi was included in Red Bull's training programme in 2003. At that time, no Red Bull Formula 1 teams were driving around, but talents were already being groomed under Marko's watchful eye. Liuzzi benefited. In 2005, he made his F1 debut for Red Bull Racing, after which he drove for Toro Rosso for two seasons.
''I think Red Bull has a different approach. Marko had a different approach to drivers. They really want to see a driver who is willing to get into a Formula 1 car without making mistakes and be consistent. Marko was perfect for the brand. He wants to see drivers without fear. You have to show balls, drivers who live on adrenaline and are not afraid of anything,'' the former Red Bull junior states in the Inside Line F1 Podcast.
The character of a Red Bull driver
''I think Max has a similar character to me. I remember when I signed with Red Bull, that was because Marko put me in a Formula 3000 car, straight out of the karts, then straight into Formula 1 testing. The Formula 3000 cars were very tough to drive at that time. I was not physically ready for that at all. I came back into the garage and said I found it physically challenging, but I went back into the car and did it again. That's why Marko was excited, because I showed no fear.''
According to Liuzzi, that is what makes Red Bull's good drivers so special: ''He showed me that I always want more. That I always have to give 100 per cent and control the car. I think there are some similarities between Max and me that made him happy. Red Bull is a very different brand from other teams and they also look at drivers very differently.''
Marko's training has already produced many talents in Formula 1. In 2025, the F1 grid will again be full of talents who were part of Red Bull. After all, besides the four Red Bull drivers (Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls), Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz and Jack Doohan also drove in Red Bull colours in the past. In addition, since Red Bull joined F1, it has delivered two world champions with four world titles each: Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica
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