He admits cheerfully that back in the dark days after his career ended in 1972, he never dreamed he would get a second chance in Formula 1. “No, not at all. But the chance came fortunately through Red Bull with the Jaguar team.”
He and the great Dietrich Mateschitz knew one another in Styria long before their collaboration at Red Bull began. “I was the one who said Christian [Horner] is our man, and I’m glad I did,” he said a few years ago, before the death of Mateschitz and Horner’s departure from the team earlier this year.
“In the beginning, a lot of experts said it couldn’t work, but he’s proved that he’s capable. I saw how he was running his F3000 team; we were young and we were different, and we made the old-established people see differently. It made sense. Here, it’s very open, and we don’t tell stories. We just try to find the best solution for the team, and we do it without any egos.
“I don’t handle the daily operations. That rests with Christian. If it’s a major decision, either I decide or else if necessary I take it to Didi [Mateschitz].”
Christian didn’t always agree with Helmut’s version of how they worked together, but the fact is that the old warrior played a key role in forming the team, and together they would take it to such fantastic success.
As of today, Red Bull Racing have won 130 Grands Prix, eight Drivers’ and six Constructors’ World Championships, toppling the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes along the way.
Sadly, it now looks like it is time for him to saddle up. Times change, but it makes me sad. No matter what you thought about the way he operated, Helmut Marko was a true racer on and off the track, with the scars to prove it, a great sense of humour and a refreshing penchant for saying exactly what he thought. He leaves a significant, often overlooked legacy, and I for one will miss his huge presence in the paddock.
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