Red Bull Racing are set to lose Adrian Newey in the first quarter of 2025 signalling the era of an era for one of Formula 1’s most legendary backroom staff members.
Adrian Newey hasn’t announced where he’ll be going next, although Ted Kravitz has explained why he’s unlikely to be retiring just yet.
In an interview with Bild, Red Bull director Oliver Mintzlaff has explained that another key member of the team’s staff won’t be going anywhere.
With Newey already heading out of the door, the next most important person they need to keep hold of is Max Verstappen.
While he’s driving a dominant car, his performances in comparison to teammate Sergio Perez highlight that he’s a level above the rest of the grid at the moment.
However, arguably the next most important person to Red Bull is his advisor Helmut Marko, given his relationship with Verstappen and ability to stop young talent.
Mintzlaff has now admitted that Marko won’t be going anywhere, especially Mercedes who have been linked with hiring the 81-year-old.
It’s an important stance to take as Verstappen’s future is very much intertwined with the Austrian’s.
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Oliver Mintzlaff says Helmut Marko won’t be leaving Red Bull for Mercedes
Despite being the current Drivers’ and Constructors’ Champions, Red Bull are in danger of a mass exodus of their best talent.
Adrian Newey will depart after nearly 20 years with the team and helping oversee periods of domination for Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel.
Technical lead Pierre Wache is being courted by Ferrari who would love to bring both him and Newey in to work alongside Lewis Hamilton from next year.
While it’s unlikely that the Frenchman will be moving on at this stage, Zak Brown suggested at the Miami Grand Prix that he had been receiving CVs from people at Red Bull.
At the pre-race press conference, he said – via The Race: “Yeah, we’ve seen an increase in CVs coming in our way, from the team.”
Toto Wolff has not hidden his desire to sign Max Verstappen as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.
He missed out on the Dutchman as a youngster and doesn’t want to squander another opportunity should it arise.
Helmut Marko going nowhere as Red Bull hope to secure key personnel
Asked if there’s a possibility of Marko joining Mercedes, Oliver Mintzlaff said: “I think that is impossible.
“Helmut [Marko] has close ties to Red Bull and we have a lot to thank him for. He also showed the courage to entrust Max with a Formula 1 cockpit at the age of 17.”
There is a split in the Red Bull garage right now, with Verstappen’s camp and Helmut Marko not fully aligned with Christian Horner at this stage.
They were key allies with Newey and while the team may feel they can replace him from a technical standpoint, the internal politics within the team are another matter.
Verstappen is a big believer in Pierre Wache and if he ends up replacing Newey then that will be a boost for the team in their hopes of the 26-year-old seeing out his long-term contract.
However, if Marko and Verstappen decide that Mercedes is the best option for the Dutchman to add to his growing list of titles, then Mintzlaff might have his work cut out preventing both of them from departing.
The post ‘It’s impossible’: Red Bull director says one key Max Verstappen ally won’t be joining Mercedes appeared first on F1 Oversteer.