Karun Chandhok reveals Helmut Marko moment that explains Red Bull’s ruthless success

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok has discussed Dr Helmut Marko's exit from Red Bull Racing, reflecting on his time as a Red Bull junior driver and Marko's ability to be "bold when a lot of people in the paddock were conservative".

Marko confirmed at the beginning of December that he had decided to leave the Milton Keynes outfit at the end of 2025 after 20 years.

Chandhok drew on his experience as part of the Red Bull junior team as he shared insight into working with Marko and the Austrian's influence on Red Bull.

“I was a Red Bull junior, but I chose to leave it. I didn't see a path into Toro Rosso at the time. So I went off to do something else, and I was one of the few, I think, who left on good terms with Helmut and Christian [Horner]," Chandhok said during the Sky Sports F1 Show.

"Helmut gave me my first F1 test, and I was on the junior team for a period of time and it was tough. I remember sitting on EasyJet flights back when I was doing GP2, Formula 2 now, and you're trying to explain what happened, your weekend, he’d just go, 'Well that was not very good,' and hang up on you mid-sentence.

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"I remember in Valencia, he walked up to me in the paddock and said, ‘24, you're now an old man. Better get on with it.’ And just walked off. So yeah, he was tough, but you know what? He got results."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Marko led the Red Bull driver development programme from its founding and was instrumental in bringing 16 drivers to F1, including Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

"He was bold where a lot of people in that paddock were conservative by plucking Max Verstappen out of Formula 3. Out of a single season of Formula 3, no other car racing, Max went from go-karts to Formula 3 to Formula 1," Chandhok added.

"That was a massive step that Helmut backed, and Helmut chose to do, and he single-handedly made that call. And you have to give him credit for making those sorts of decisions. You've got to give him credit."

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