Between the track and the pitch
In the chaotic Formula 1 market, which is preparing for a 2025 filled with overhauled lineups and significant staff changes, even among engineers, only a “courtship” of a football coach was missing. Helmut Marko, as usual, took care of that—though obviously in a joking manner. The long-time Red Bull advisor, in an interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de, also spoke about German coach Jurgen Klopp, who will be officially presented by Red Bull on January 14 as the new global head of football.
The arrival of Klopp
The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager has been chosen to oversee the development of all the football clubs managed by the energy drink giant. It’s an unusual and highly complex task, given that the Austrian “family” controls five football clubs across Austria, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and the United States. During the interview with RTL journalist Felix Görner, Marko described Klopp as “an extraordinary coach and motivator.”
“I really don’t know how he plans to manage everything, with commitments on different continents and all the rest,” commented the F1 team executive, “but since football is very important to us, I think it was the best move he could make.”
Max is enthusiastic
Helmut Marko also added that he “would really like” to involve the German coach—who has won 13 titles in his career, including a Champions League—in the Formula 1 team. However, their connection isn’t yet that close: “So far, I’ve only seen him in person once, and that’s it,” admitted Marko.
When Jurgen Klopp’s hiring was announced last October, Max Verstappen—a moderate football fan—expressed his satisfaction: “I had known for some time that they were talking and close to signing,” said the Dutch champion, “and I think it’s fantastic. Red Bull is investing a lot in football with its teams, and there are already many talents. Having someone like Jurgen in charge, who has so much experience and has managed many big clubs, is great for the entire organization.”
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