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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.

Vettel, Verstappen Architect: Marko Steps Down After Two Decades Shaping Red Bull
F1 Legend Helmut Marko Retires from Red Bull at 82.

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.”

THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON

After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.

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Hamilton’s exit clock is ticking

Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.

Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.

That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.

He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.

Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.

Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.

Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.

What's Hamilton saying about quitting?

When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.

At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.

Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.

He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.

In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.

MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.

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Verstappen Wins Fifth Straight Peer Award

Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.

The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.

The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.

Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.

The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.

George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.

Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.

Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.

Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.

Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.

Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.

Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.

The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.

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