Helmut Marko claims some drivers are ‘blocking the way’ for young talents in F1

For the first time in F1's history, the sport witnessed no changes in its driver lineup.

Helmut Marko claims some drivers are ‘blocking the way’ for young talents in F1

Helmut Marko, image via IMAGO

F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and many young drivers aim to land a seat in the championship. The racers work through junior karting levels and single-seater series to finally achieve their dream. However, the dream is getting delayed for them as veteran racers are extending their contracts despite aging. Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has condemned such drivers for blocking the path for young talents to shine.

The championship has been criticized for being unable to promote promising young talent. There have been multiple instances that F2 championship winners have not landed a seat in F1 despite years of accolades. Similarly, Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire won the F2 championship and were not signed by any team for the subsequent seasons.

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Observing the saddening reality, the head of Red Bull driver development program, Helmut Marko, lamented old drivers are blocking the way for young talent.

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I can't name any names, but there are drivers in the field who are stagnating and are better or worse depending on the mood. They are blocking the way for the young drivers. The teams are also afraid of juniors. Of course they make mistakes, but I'd rather someone makes mistakes and has hope for the future than there being no further improvement.
Helmut Marko said in his column on Speedweek

The Austrian elaborated that he cannot name any drivers but claimed that few drivers on the grid have been stagnant and are extending their inevitable end. He then glanced over teams’ mentality as manufacturers don’t want rookies as they make silly mistakes. However, he stated that teams should rather hire young drivers due to their potential, as experienced drivers are most probably out of their prime.

Helmut Marko claims that Red Bull cannot entertain even the slightest of mistakes

While Marko heads the Red Bull junior driver program and accelerates the progress of junior drivers. On the other hand, his team has found themselves in hot waters. The Austrian giant started the season with an unprecedented advantage but has now fallen into the clutches of its rivals.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko
Helmut Marko (via IMAGO)

With the threat of a title fight becoming real, the 80-year-old admitted that the team needs to be on their best behavior.

The bottom line for us is that everything has to be perfect for us to win. There can't be even the slightest mistake. If you look at the upcoming races, you can say that Budapest is a rather slow track and Spa is one of Max's favourite tracks, where he has always been exceptionally good. One thing is certain: the update has to work, because we are currently behind McLaren in terms of our base - and if you look at the race in England, also behind Mercedes.
Helmut Marko said in his column on Speedweek

Marko admitted that the team needed everything to be executed perfectly to win. He then asserted that they could not afford any mistakes as the title fight enrages between the top four teams.

Despite the Austrian’s concern, Red Bull leads Ferrari with a 71-point lead heading into Hungary. Moreover, with Max Verstappen salvaging podiums and wins every weekend, the team could utilize the points advantage before updates arrive for the team.

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