Helmut Marko: Toto Wolff still has an ace up his sleeve.

      Former Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko gave an interview in which he discussed the problems of his former team and mentioned that Toto Wolff's son, who races in karting, has the potential to reach Formula 1.

      Question: Mr. Marko, how closely do you follow Max Verstappen's performances in endurance racing?

      Helmut Marko: I watch his performances online. It’s always impressive when Max makes his way through the pack.

      Question: It seems that Max enjoys these races more than Formula 1...

      Helmut Marko: Last year had a similar story.

      Question: But last year Max had a brilliant second half of the season and nearly won the title...

      Helmut Marko: I'm afraid that won't happen this year.

      Question: Do you regularly call Max?

      Helmut Marko: No, so I can't tell you what he thinks.

      Question: Do you think he will really retire at the end of the season?

      Helmut Marko: I'm too far removed from all of this to give an objective assessment. I'm not going to advise from the outside.

      Question: How much does the situation of the Red Bull team frustrate you?

      Helmut Marko: I feel for the whole team. But let's hope that, as in the past, they can turn the situation around for the better this time.

      Question: Given that the team has a new engine developed in-house this season, did you have concerns even before the season started?

      Helmut Marko: Yes, but the engine, which is certainly not the best, is not the main problem.

      Question: How do you explain the fact that the chassis is not working at all?

      Helmut Marko: To say that the chassis is not working at all is an exaggeration. The first stage in Melbourne started off well – with a third place in qualifying. However, the subsequent events went in the wrong direction.

      Question: How will Gianpiero Lambiasi's departure affect the team?

      Helmut Marko: Successful specialists are always poached. Lambiasi was in the public eye thanks to Max. But the team has already invited someone from Ferrari to replace him.

      Question: What can you say about Kimi Antonelli?

      Helmut Marko: I immediately saw that Antonelli is incredibly fast. His results were just unstable, but this year everything has changed. Now I think he can contend for the title.

      Question: His invitation to Mercedes speaks to Toto Wolff's insight...

      Helmut Marko: Yes, and Toto Wolff has another ace up his sleeve – his 9-year-old son Jack. He is very fast in karting, just like Johan, Gerhard Berger's son. I constantly call Gerhard.

      Question: Do they have the potential to reach Formula 1?

      Helmut Marko: We'll see. But there are certainly some prerequisites.

      Question: You have become an ambassador for the Red Bull Ring. When will you start your new job?

      Helmut Marko: I hope to help raise interest in the track, especially for the MotoGP event. I am a big fan of MotoGP myself, and I will also be at the Red Bull Ring Classics in Spielberg in May. And of course, I will be at the Formula 1 race at the end of June.