Helmut Marko casts doubt over Red Bull F1 future

Helmut Marko has hinted that he may not be part of the Red Bull F1 set-up next year.

Marko has long been associated with the Red Bull family and has played a crucial role in paving the way for the likes of Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel to join the team.

Red Bull has already undergone significant changes this year, with Christian Horner being replaced as team principal by Laurent Mekies.

The Milton Keynes-based squad suffered championship defeat in Abu Dhabi as Lando Norris beat Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to the title.

And shortly after the race, Marko opened the door to a potential exit from the team. 

“I will have a discussion, and then I will see what I will do,” Marko told media including RacingNews365. 

“It's a complex of different things. I have to see, I have to sleep over it and then we'll see.”

Having enjoyed four championships with Verstappen, Red Bull was forced to accept defeat on Sunday, leaving Marko disappointed.

"Of course I'm a bit disappointed that we missed out on the title by two points,” he told De Telegraaf. 

“But at the same time it also gives us a lot of confidence that we came back like this. It shows that we have the technical expertise.

"Today it wasn't really there, also because Mercedes and Ferrari weren't fast enough and couldn't help us. It is nice that we have won the most races this season, but in 10 years, all anyone will know is who became champion.”