Red Bull’s Secret Weapon: How Helmut Marko Nearly Became Ferrari’s Man
Dr. Helmut Marko and Red Bull go together like champagne and podiums. The 82-year-old Austrian has been the mastermind behind one of F1’s most successful teams, though he rarely gets the spotlight.
“That time, it was the week before when I drove a Ferrari sports car. I was on pole and finished second and I got an offer for F1,” Marko revealed recently.
But here’s the shocking part – the Red Bull advisor almost wore red instead.
In a fascinating conversation with Tom Clarkson on the Beyond the Grid Podcast, Marko dropped a bombshell about how close he came to joining Ferrari before his racing career was cut short.
Back in 1972, just before the accident at the French Grand Prix that cost him his left eye, Marko had impressed Ferrari with his skills in one of their sports cars.
“I got an offer from Ferrari, yes. It was already signed,” he confirmed when Clarkson asked for clarification.
This wasn’t quite a full contract, though.
“It was a letter of intent, and I should have come to Maranello because in the end, the old man [Enzo Ferrari] has to be always involved and personally you have to be there and show yourself to the audience.”
Marko’s negotiations had been with Peter Schetty, Ferrari’s team principal at the time. The planned trip to Maranello never happened because of his accident at Clermont-Ferrand.
He did eventually make it to Ferrari’s headquarters, but under very different circumstances.
“I went later on with Niki Lauda. I was helping him a little bit in these negotiations and there I went down and I saw him [Enzo Ferrari] for the first time personally.”
## The Partnership That Changed F1
Fate had other plans for Marko. Instead of racing for Ferrari, he would help build an energy drink company into an F1 powerhouse.
Together with the late Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull’s co-founder, Marko created something special in Milton Keynes.
His eye for talent led him to bring in Christian Horner as team principal and Adrian Newey as Technical Director – moves that turned Red Bull from an upstart team into champions.
The results speak for themselves. Under Marko’s guidance, Red Bull has claimed 6 double championships (winning both drivers’ and constructors’ titles) and two additional Drivers’ Championships.
Perhaps even more impressive is how many young drivers have come through Red Bull’s junior program. No other team has given more rookies their F1 chance.
## Looking to the Future
Red Bull isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Their eyes are already on 2026 and the new regulations.
The team’s Powertrains division is making serious progress. Technical director Ben Hodgkinson recently revealed that even Max Verstappen was impressed after seeing and hearing Red Bull’s 2026 power unit running.
The three-time world champion apparently asked sharp, detailed questions that showed his deep understanding of the technical side.
Will Red Bull continue their dominance into the new era? With Marko still calling the shots from behind the scenes, you wouldn’t bet against them.
