Max Verstappen’s meteoric rise has forever altered the landscape of Formula One, but the man who guided him into the sport, Helmut Marko, claims the Dutch phenom has reshaped the entire racing hierarchy. As the mastermind behind Red Bull’s driver development program, Marko has been instrumental in building a pipeline that has not only produced champions but also revolutionized talent scouting in F1.
Marko, an Austrian known as the “godfather” of Red Bull’s driver program, played a pivotal role in ensuring that Verstappen made his F1 debut in 2015 with Red Bull’s junior team, Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), instead of rival powerhouse Mercedes. This move marked the beginning of a legacy that continues to influence young racers today.
Whenever Marko visits a karting track in search of the next big talent, Verstappen’s influence is impossible to miss. “People always mention the ‘Verstappen example,'” Marko told ESPN. “Now, every parent believes their son is the next Verstappen and just needs to follow the same path.” He recalled how, before Verstappen, go-kart tracks would empty out when it rained, with everyone seeking shelter in the cafeteria. But after Verstappen’s early success, it became clear that he was the only driver out there braving the wet conditions. “Now, it’s the opposite—no one’s in the cafeteria when it rains.”
Verstappen bypassed F1’s traditional feeder series, GP3 and GP2 (now Formula 3 and Formula 2), to make his debut with Red Bull’s junior team at just 17, becoming the youngest driver in F1 history. He went on to become the sport’s youngest race winner the following season. As he nears his 28th birthday and likely a fourth consecutive world championship, Verstappen’s journey is the exception, not the rule—a path difficult to replicate.
“People think they can do what Max did by copying his journey, but we’re not searching for the next Verstappen,” Marko said. “We’re looking for the next world champion. When [Sebastian] Vettel left us, we didn’t seek out another Vettel. We saw Max and knew he was someone special.”
Red Bull’s talent pipeline has been the most prolific in F1, consistently promoting young drivers through the ranks. Following in Vettel’s footsteps, who won four straight titles with Red Bull, drivers like Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly have all risen to race-winning status through the program Marko oversees.
Despite technological advancements that provide teams with more data, Marko still relies heavily on his gut instinct when evaluating young drivers. “Nowadays, data plays a bigger role,” he said. “But I still believe that a driver’s first reaction on the track, especially in fast corners, reveals more than any data can.”
The Red Bull program, however, isn’t without its challenges. The company’s reluctance to promote its most promising talent, Yuki Tsunoda, amid stiff competition from rivals like Mercedes and Ferrari, has raised questions about whether Red Bull’s academy is still as dominant as it once was.
Nevertheless, Marko remains confident in Red Bull’s approach. “Our system works. We don’t need to change it just because of what others are doing,” he asserted. With two world champions already produced from their program and a proven track record of promoting young talent, Red Bull continues to set the standard in F1’s fiercely competitive world of driver development.
As other teams ramp up their efforts, Red Bull’s commitment to its tried-and-true methods underscores the belief that the next generation of F1 champions will continue to emerge from its ranks, guided by the same principles that launched the careers of Verstappen and Vettel.
