Top advisor
Helmut Marko is the most important figure who selects drivers for the Red Bull Junior Team. He is also the one who decides which drivers get promoted, and who is let go. The 2025
Formula 1 grid shows once again how good Marko is at his role.
At the age of 81,
Helmut Marko is still very much involved in the Red Bull family. For instance, he was also one of the key figures in the decision behind
Sergio Perez's departure and the appointment of
Liam Lawson as his replacement. Red Bull junior
Isack Hadjar also got a chance at
Visa Cash App RB partly because of him.
Marko's track record
That Marko has an eye for talent is shown by the 2025
Formula 1 grid itself. Indeed, as many as eight of the 20 drivers have been affiliated with the Red Bull Junior Team at some point. This is 40 per cent of the entire field.
These drivers are
Max Verstappen,
Liam Lawson,
Isack Hadjar,
Yuki Tsunoda,
Alexander Albon,
Carlos Sainz,
Jack Doohan and
Pierre Gasly. Albon and Gasly once drove for
Red Bull Racing, but they were either let go or sent back to Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri. Next year, it will be Lawson who gets to show what he can do as Verstappen's teammate from 2025.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!