Sebastian Vettel discusses potential role at Red Bull: talks with Helmut Marko ongoing but still early. Sebastian Vettel discusses the possibility of succeeding Helmut Marko at Red Bull.

Will there ever be an end to Helmut Marko’s tenure?
For several years, and more precisely since the death of Dietrich Mateschitz at the end of 2022, there have been whispers of a potential departure of Helmut Marko from Red Bull, where he has been since its inception in 2005 as a consultant and head of the driver program.
However, the Austrian recently made it clear that he has no intention of letting go, and that the idea—originally proposed by him—of Sebastian Vettel replacing him was “far from becoming a reality, and even from being ready to discuss it.”

Sebastian Vettel speaks
In an interview with Austrian national broadcaster ORF, four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel directly addressed the topic, confirming that there had been discussions about him potentially taking Helmut Marko’s place, but also emphasized that these talks were still in the very early stages: “There have been some newspaper headlines, but I still get along very well with Helmut and continue to speak with him. Even on this subject, though not yet in an intense or detailed manner. We’ll have to see in what form, because Helmut is irreplaceable, let’s put it that way,” explained the 37-year-old German.

Sebastian Vettel thus hinted at the possibility of him being involved in Red Bull’s structure, but not necessarily as a replacement for Marko: “Helmut is a character, and he has also made a huge contribution to the team’s success. Maybe the goal isn’t to find someone to replace him. It would be nice if the work he’s done continued along his path. The position he holds will inevitably be filled and experienced in a different way. So, as I said, it won’t be possible to completely replace him.” – the former Ferrari and Aston Martin driver concluded.