Max Verstappen Missed Major Red Bull News After Cancelling Planned Dinner
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was not present when one of the most significant announcements in Red Bull Racing history unfolded, learning of Helmut Marko’s departure from the team in an unexpected and deeply emotional way.
The revelation came after a dramatic and turbulent season for Red Bull, marked by internal leadership upheaval, intense media scrutiny, and off-track controversy. Following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the team confirmed that long-serving motorsport advisor Helmut Marko would step down from his role at the end of the year, bringing an end to an era that stretched back to the very beginnings of Red Bull’s Formula 1 project.
Marko, now 82, has been a central figure in Red Bull’s rise to dominance. He played a pivotal role in shaping the team’s aggressive driver development programme and is widely credited with identifying Verstappen’s extraordinary talent while the Dutchman was still a teenager. Their partnership would later help deliver multiple world championships and establish Red Bull as a modern F1 powerhouse.
Earlier reports suggested that Verstappen’s failure to secure a fifth consecutive world title had influenced Marko’s decision to step away. However, the Austrian has now firmly rejected that narrative, insisting that he never even read the official press release that linked his exit to Red Bull’s championship outcome.
In a candid interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Marko offered a personal account of how his departure unfolded and, most strikingly, how Verstappen was informed of the decision.
According to Marko, he had intended to tell Verstappen face to face, believing that the news deserved a personal conversation rather than a phone call. With the title fight still alive late into the season, Marko chose to delay any announcement, not wanting to distract his star driver during a crucial phase of the championship battle.
A dinner had been arranged in Dubai shortly after the season concluded, with Marko, Verstappen, and other key figures expected to attend. That evening was meant to be the moment when Marko would formally explain his decision to step away from Red Bull and reflect on their shared journey.
However, those plans fell apart when logistical issues forced Verstappen to cancel his attendance at the last minute. Left with no other option, Marko made the difficult decision to call Verstappen as soon as he returned home.
The conversation, Marko revealed, was deeply emotional.
Describing the call as “melancholic,” Marko explained that both men reflected on how far they had come together, achievements neither could have imagined when their partnership began. He emphasised the unique bond they share, noting that over the years, their relationship grew beyond that of driver and advisor.
Marko stated that his connection with Verstappen is closer than with any other driver he has worked with throughout his long career in motorsport. Their understanding, he explained, now requires very few words — a testament to years of trust, shared success, and mutual respect.
During the call, Verstappen reportedly reassured Marko that they would see each other again soon, underscoring that while Marko may be stepping away from his formal role, their relationship is far from over.
Marko’s departure marks a major shift within Red Bull as the team enters a new phase, particularly with sweeping regulatory changes on the horizon and an increasingly competitive grid. His influence on Red Bull’s philosophy, especially in driver recruitment and development, has been immense, and his absence will undoubtedly be felt throughout the paddock.
For Verstappen, the news represents the loss of one of his strongest allies inside the team — a mentor who believed in him before most of the F1 world truly understood his potential. While the Dutchman remains under contract and fully committed to Red Bull’s future, Marko’s exit adds another layer of uncertainty to a team already undergoing transformation.
As Formula 1 prepares for a new season, the end of the Marko-Verstappen era inside Red Bull serves as a poignant reminder that even the most successful partnerships eventually reach their final chapter.
