VETTEL, VERSTAPPEN ARCHITECT: MARKO STEPS DOWN AFTER TWO DECADES SHAPING RED BULL
The 82-year-old F1 icon said narrowly missing the 2025 World Championship cemented his decision to step down, marking the end of Red Bull’s influential era.
After over 20 years as Red Bull's motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko plans to step down at the close of 2025. At 82 years old, he was a main player in Red Bull's run in Formula 1 and directed the Red Bull Junior Program.
Helmut Marko shared, “I’ve spent six decades in motorsport, and my time at Red Bull for the last 20-plus years has been amazing and really paid off. It's been great to help build this and share it with so many talented people. I’m filled with when I think of everything we've built and done together.”
“Just missing out on the world championship this season hit me hard and made me realise it's time for me to wrap up this long, intense, and winning part of my life. I hope the whole team keeps doing great, and I think they'll be in the fight for both world championship titles again next year.”
Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of corporate projects and investments at Red Bull, stated, “Helmut told me he wants to end his time as motorsport advisor at the end of the year. I’m sad about his choice, since he’s been a big influence for over two decades, and his leaving marks the end of an important period.”
“For more than 20 years, Helmut has done so much for our team and the whole Red Bull Motorsport family. He was key in all the important strategic calls that made Red Bull Racing what it is now: a many-time world champion, an engine of new ideas, and a main part of international motorsport.”
“His eye for talent not only shaped our junior program but also left a mark on Formula 1 overall. Guys like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen are just some of the many drivers who were found, supported, and led to the top under him. His passion, his courage to make tough calls, and his skill for spotting potential will not be forgotten.”
“After a long talk, I knew I had to respect what he wanted, because I felt like the timing was right for him to make this move. Even though he's leaving a big hole, we respect his choice and are thankful for all he's done for Red Bull Racing. We will miss Helmut Marko a lot, both at work and personally. We wish him all the best going forward and hope he stays close to the team.”
ANDREA STELLA : BEATING MAX VERSTAPPEN MAKES LANDO NORRIS’ F1 TITLE WIN MORE SPECIAL
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella believes Lando Norris' 2025 F1 title win is elevated because he defeated Max Verstappen, calling it a "prestigious" achievement.
McLaren's Andrea Stella believes that beating Max Verstappen and Red Bull made Lando Norris’ 2025 Formula 1 championship win even more special.
Even though Verstappen won the race in Abu Dhabi, it wasn't enough to keep his championship title. Norris finished in third place, which was just enough to win his first Drivers’ title.
For most of the season, it looked like a battle between the McLaren drivers. Norris and Oscar Piastri had won 12 races between them in the first 15 races.
However, Red Bull had a big turnaround, and Verstappen, who was 104 points behind Piastri with nine races to go, got back into the fight.
But while Verstappen won the last three races, Norris and McLaren did just enough to win the title by only two points.
Stella, who has been in the sport since 2000, said that Norris won at a time when the competition is tougher than ever.
“Thinking back, the season really reminded me of 2003, which also came down to the last race,” Stella told the media. “There were some challenges near the end, and the whole season was close and tense. Michael Schumacher ended up winning that year.
“Then we had 2007, which again went to the last race with three drivers in contention.
“I kept thinking about these past situations during the entire weekend.
“The drivers in Formula 1 today are incredibly talented, which makes Lando’s success this season even more impressive.
“Drivers now have telemetry data from the time they start racing go-karts, and they receive so much support. They’re just naturally fast.
“We sometimes see that established drivers struggle to keep up with the younger generation.”
Norris Ends Verstappen’s Time as World Champion
Stella stated that beating Verstappen and stopping him from equaling Schumacher’s record of five titles in a row makes Norris’ win even greater.
“It’s a really big accomplishment,” he said.
“Beating Max Verstappen, a four-time World Champion, in a team that knows what it's doing, is a real achievement.
“It’s a really impressive, high-quality, and prestigious win.
“And it’s amazing that Oscar was also so close to winning. I think that shows how much of a team effort this was.”
TITLE WAIT CONTINUES: ZAK BROWN BACKS OSCAR PIASTRI FOR 2026 AFTER 410-POINT FINISH
Oscar Piastri's F1 title bid crumbled after leading 71% of the season, ultimately finishing 3rd and 13 points behind Lando Norris due to mid-season errors and team orders.
In 2025, Oscar Piastri appeared set to win the F1 drivers’ championship, leading for 71% of the season. Yet, he ended up in third place, with his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, grabbing the title.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull squeezed between the McLaren drivers in the standings. Norris edged out Verstappen by just two points, preventing the Dutchman from securing a fifth straight title. Piastri ended the year 13 points behind his teammate, with 423, 421, and 410 points, respectively.
Norris started the season strong, winning the Australian Grand Prix and ending Verstappen's 1,029-day reign at the top. Still, Piastri took over the lead after winning in Saudi Arabia, the fifth race of the 24-race season.
Piastri held the lead for 189 days until Norris won in Mexico City (race 20) and regained it for the final 42 days. Norris's title win made him the 11th British champion in F1 history, while Australia's wait for a champion since 1980 continues.
Zak Brown, McLaren CEO, believes Piastri can contend for the 2026 title after his near-miss in 2025.
Brown thinks Piastri could have won the 2025 title, but some mid-season difficulties threw him off course. Brown still thinks Piastri should be happy with his results.
Brown feels that if Piastri can shore up a few areas, he can compete for the title in 2026. The 2026 regulations could shake up the grid, but Brown is confident that Piastri will eventually win a title.
Brown mentioned on Radio X that Oscar did great in the off-season. He thinks the two drivers pushed each other to improve, which also helped the team.
He noted that leading early in the championship is different from chasing, especially in a long season. Piastri faced some mid-season challenges but bounced back strongly.
Brown is looking forward to next year because he believes Piastri will return to Australia motivated. He sees Piastri as tough and focused, needing only a few improvements. He suggests keeping an eye on Piastri next year.
Brown added that Piastri is disappointed but shouldn't be with the overall season. He should be proud of his seven wins. He pointed out that it was only Piastri's third full season, compared to Lando's seventh, adding that Piastri is going to be a world champion, maybe even next year.
Piastri’s title hopes took a hit after McLaren's team orders at Monza.
Piastri wrapped up the 2025 season with seven of his nine career wins, 16 of his 26 podiums, and all six of his pole positions. Only Verstappen (8) had more wins, and he and Norris had more poles (8 and 7) during the season.
Norris had the most podiums in 2025 with 18, ahead of Piastri (16) and Verstappen (15). Piastri lost ground between Baku (race 17) and Las Vegas (race 22), a slide that began with the race in Italy at Monza (race 16).
McLaren instructed Piastri to give second place back to Norris during the Italian Grand Prix. Piastri had overtaken Norris, who was told he would stay ahead if he let Piastri pit first. However, Norris had a slower pit stop. Piastri initially disagreed but complied.
Piastri then crashed in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after crashing in qualifying and jumping the race start. Piastri was also unhappy with Norris after they made contact during the Singapore Grand Prix while fighting for third place.
McLaren blamed Piastri for the crash with Norris during the COTA Sprint, saying he tried an aggressive move. He also struggled in Mexico City, Sao Paulo, and Las Vegas due to low grip before recovering in Qatar.
To top it off, both McLaren drivers were disqualified in Las Vegas after their cars were found to have excessive wear on the underfloor. A bad call from McLaren in Qatar also cost Piastri a possible win.