Sebastian Vettel reacts to Helmut Marko's Red Bull exit amid rumors of replacing him

Sebastian Vettel has reacted to Helmut Marko's unexpected exit from Red Bull after the 2025 F1 season concluded. The 82-year-old was the architect of the Austrian team's entry into F1 in 2005 and its ascent to being multiple world champions on the back of two dominant periods.

Marko served as the director and team advisor for Red Bull and had a sharp eye for spotting promising talent. He administered the team's driver development program, which helped 20 drivers progress to F1, and produced gems like four-time champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Vettel, who gave Red Bull its first F1 championship, had been intermittently linked to an advisor role within the team since his retirement as a driver in 2022. The speculation gained some traction after Helmut Marko took retirement. Though Vettel didn't address this side of the situation, he paid a heartfelt tribute to the man who played a pivotal role in his F1 success.

"I was just as surprised as everyone else," Vettel told F1-Insider.com. "I wish Helmut all the best for his future and a well-earned retirement. He is the architect of the success of Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso. Not only regarding driver selection, key decisions concerning team composition, personnel, and strategy also stemmed from him. Helmut can call himself the originator of Red Bull's success in Formula 1.

A recent report by the German publication BILD, after Helmut Marko's retirement, claimed that Red Bull had internally already decided that the team didn't need a replacement for the 82-year-old. That would mean Sebastian Vettel was most likely out of the equation for a managerial role with the team.

Sebastian Vettel confirmed having talks with Helmut Marko about an F1 return

Helmut Marko with Sebastian Vettel at the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Earlier this year, Sebastian Vettel attended the Brazilian Grand Prix in early November to raise awareness for an environmental cause - the protection of the Amazon rainforest. In an interview with Sky Sports during the race weekend, the four-time F1 champion also spoke addressed the speculation about his return to Red Bull.

He confirmed that he had briefly spoken with Helmut Marko about the possibility, but it didn't amount to anything serious.

"I don’t know," Vettel said. "I read there was a lot of talk about it and so on. I did speak with Helmut a little bit, but it never got anywhere, never gained any traction. I think, for me, I am fairly happy where I am in life right now."

Sebastian Vettel didn't achieve much success after leaving Red Bull for Ferrari in 2015. The German driver won many races with the Scuderia, but couldn't do better than a couple of runner-up finishes in the championship. He concluded his driving career after a two-year stint with Aston Martin in 2022.