Helmut Marko may have stepped away from the Formula 1 paddock, but he continues to follow the sport closely and is never shy about sharing his opinions. The former Red Bull advisor, long-time mentor to Max Verstappen, is now enjoying retirement, yet he still watches races regularly on television and remains deeply engaged with the championship. However, he admits that the current spectacle has not fully convinced him so far.
Helmut Marko still follows Formula 1 closely
Speaking in an interview with Austrian outlet OE24, the 82-year-old revealed that he has not received any offers to return to a team following his departure from Red Bull, adding: “My decision not to do anything more in F1 has been accepted.” Despite this, Marko continues to observe the races carefully, even if he is not particularly impressed by what he sees on track.
“Have I gotten used to Formula 1? Well, no. At the moment, the sport lives only on the spectacle provided by Ferrari at the start,” he explained. “But if you take that away, in the end not much happens. Most of the overtakes are not real overtakes, but just passing moves. However, we are still at the beginning of the season, and maybe things will change as the races go on.”
George Russell leading the title race
Helmut Marko also shared his thoughts on Mercedes, with fellow Austrian Toto Wolff currently enjoying the success of what appears to be a dominant package. Despite ongoing scrutiny from rival teams over the technical solutions implemented on the car, Marko believes Mercedes is still holding something back.
“Mercedes is in a league of its own, and I don’t think they are even showing their full potential yet,” he said. “Kimi Antonelli is a good driver and has always been fast. Now, with more Grands Prix under his belt, he is also making fewer mistakes. Fighting for the title? No, everything points toward George Russell, he has enormous experience.”
Adrian Newey’s difficult start at Aston Martin
Finally, Marko commented on the struggles of Adrian Newey, his former colleague, who is currently facing a challenging situation at Aston Martin-Honda during what has been a surprisingly disappointing start to the Formula 1 season.
“Yes, we have spoken, and he is not having an easy time,” Marko revealed. “There are problems within this project that will not be easy to solve quickly.”
The 2026 F1 season continues and it remains to be seen whether Formula 1 can deliver the level of excitement Marko feels is currently missing, or if the competitive picture will evolve enough to change his perspective.
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