Max Verstappen’s ‘very emotional call’ with Marko upon Red Bull departure
Helmut Marko had been in Max Verstappen's corner throughout his Red Bull career.
Max Verstappen revealed he had a “very emotional call” with Helmut Marko upon news of his departure from Red Bull.
Marko stood down from his role as senior advisor to the team at the end of last season, having been at the helm of Red Bull’s junior programme throughout its time in Formula 1 to date.
Max Verstappen: ‘All good things come to an end’ with Marko departure
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.
Marko was a key figure in the Red Bull setup for two decades, and decided to step away from his responsibilities with the team with one year remaining on his contract.
Verstappen joined Sebastian Vettel in becoming four-time World Champions having risen through the Red Bull ranks, and the Dutch driver has spoken on multiple occasions about the positive impact Marko had on his career in Formula 1.
Speaking about the same conversation in December, Marko acknowledged there was “a certain melancholy in the air” when talking to Verstappen in the wake of the announcement.
With time having passed, the Red Bull driver confirmed he and Marko would remain in contact, but there would be a difference in the Red Bull garage without him being there.
More on Red Bull and Racing Bulls’ F1 2026 launch
Revealed: Red Bull’s 2026 F1 livery breaks cover at Ford Detroit season launch
Racing Bulls reveals new-look VCARB03 livery for F1 2026
“Yeah, for sure,” Verstappen told Sky Sports News when put to him that he’ll miss Marko’s presence at the team.
“I mean, we had a very emotional call after Abu Dhabi. It will be a bit different, but all good things come to an end at some point.
“But we’ll see each other anyway around, if that means that, you know, I’m going to Graz or whatever, we have a lunch together.
“You know, we have achieved so many great things together that will always stay on our minds.”
Verstappen has started all of his races in Formula 1 to date under the Red Bull umbrella, beginning his career with Toro Rosso before stepping up to Red Bull Racing in 2016, winning his first race with the team at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read next: F1 2026 uncovered: The design clues that Red Bull and Racing Bulls renders reveal
