Marko dampens the speculation about F1 retirement.

      "That was merely an idea of mine."

      Dr. Helmut Marko has dampened growing speculation about his potential imminent retirement. The long-time and influential advisor to Red Bull recently mentioned that the ideal successor would be quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who did not dismiss the possibility. Concurrently, rumors regarding the possible retirement of the 82-year-old Marko have been circulating, especially after he narrowly navigated a management crisis at Red Bull just a year prior.

      When questioned about the discussions with Vettel, the Austrian informed Osterreich newspaper: "That was just an idea of mine. But it’s not time for a decision yet – we are still quite a distance from that." Marko clarified, "I don’t know who is suggesting my retirement at the end of the year, but I certainly don’t intend to do so at this stage. As the saying goes, he who rests, rusts."

      In fact, Marko seems to be already considering options beyond 2025, particularly following Liam Lawson's demotion in favor of Yuki Tsunoda. "Yuki is improving steadily," Marko commented. "He’s the first teammate (for Max Verstappen) who can even experience Max’s performance. Unfortunately, he still makes mistakes when the pressure escalates."

      Rumors from Miami indicated that with Honda's support transitioning to Aston Martin next year, Red Bull might be contemplating another driver change for 2026. When discussing McLaren driver Oscar Piastri's new lead in the world championship, Marko stated: "I’m very impressed. He maintains his composure and consistently applies pressure to stay at the front. That’s refreshing. However, I wouldn’t overlook our (Isack) Hadjar," he added, having praised the French rookie's performances at Racing Bulls multiple times this year already.