Sebastian Vettel has paid tribute to Helmut Marko following the news of his departure from Red Bull.
After 20 years overseeing drivers for Red Bull and the second team, currently known as Racing Bulls, Marko announced his retirement earlier this week.
Of the 20 drivers promoted into F1 under his watch, three have become grand prix winners in Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, and Max Verstappen.
Of those, Vettel and Verstappen are both four-time champions with 124 grand prix wins between them, 109 of which came for Red Bull or the second team, which in this case was Toro Rosso in its 2008 guise.
Vettel had previously been linked with potentially replacing Marko, as he hoped the "founder" of Red Bull's success could enjoy his retirement.
"I was as surprised as anyone else," Vettel told F1 Insider.
"I wish Helmut all the best for his further path and a well-deserved retirement. He is the architect of the success of Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso.
"Not only where driver selection was concerned, but also important decisions about team composition, personnel and strategy went through him.
"Helmut can call himself the founder of Red Bull Racing's success in Formula 1."
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