Former Red Bull driver: 'Marko demanded I spoke English well!'

Before Red Bull established its own team in Formula 1, the training programme was already well known in the world of motorsport and a model for other teams. When Matias Milla became the 2003 Pan-American karting champion and was selected by Red Bull's top officials to join the programme, he was quick to accept the offer.

Being in the Red Bull programme doesn't mean that everything is taken care of for you. "They give you everything you need to drive, but you have to pay for your accommodation and food yourself. I lived alone in a flat and sometimes I didn't even have enough money to buy food. It was very difficult to live on 100 euros a week. Because I had no money, I also had to drive the team's trucks to the race tracks, while others could just come by plane," Milla told Fenix951.com.

No shortage of talent

Despite the harsh living conditions, the Argentine did manage to impress on the track. In a test in European Formula Renault cars he was pitted against Sebastian Vettel, among others, and was two tenths of a second quicker than the German - who would later become the four-time world champion and the showpiece of the programme. "The following year my contract with Red Bull was extended, but they let me drive in the German championship," he said.

He was only able to take part in four races, but did achieve pole position and the podium. The problem for Milla, then, was not a lack of talent, but the English language. "I went to Europe without being able to speak English and that made it very difficult for me. Helmut Marko told me several times that he saw potential in me, but that my problem was the language. He demanded that I spoke English well. Unfortunately, I was not ready for that. I couldn't take it anymore and decided to go back to Argentina. Of course I regretted it later, especially when you see what Red Bull did later."

Of course, the Argentine is also keeping an eye on the current state of affairs at Red Bull Racing and the driver is a fan of the driver change. "I think it's excellent what they've done for 2021. They took a gamble with Sergio Perez and Verstappen has gained a strong teammate," Milla concluded.