F1 Pundit gives ‘stir the pot’ warning to Red Bull over Sebastian Vettel succeeding Helmut Marko

F1 Pundit Johnny Herbert outlined the possible chaos that could unfold at Red Bull if Sebastian Vettel took over Dr. Helmut Marko's role.

Helmut Marko (via Autosport) and Sebastian Vettel (via Getty images)

Red Bull entered Formula 1 in 2005 after taking over the struggling Jaguar F1 Team from Ford. Since then, Dr. Helmut Marko has played a pivotal role in Milton Keynes’ operations, be it the F1 team or its driver program. However, the 81-year-old has hinted that he could be hanging up his gloves soon, even naming four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel as a dream replacement. Now, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has asserted that Vettel’s arrival could make things even more difficult at the Austrian team.

Helmut Marko is the motorsport consultant for Red Bull. He has a say in virtually all decisions at Milton Keynes including driver calls for its sister team Racing Bulls. After the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, rumors of a power struggle emerged within the Austrian team. Team boss Christian Horner was believed to be trying to reduce Marko’s influence. Ultimately, the struggle didn’t end in either of them being booted out of the team. Nevertheless, this created tensions which have not yet subsided.

Johnny Herbert acknowledged that Helmut Marko will soon announce his retirement from the sport. However, Herbert was adamant that Vettel’s arrival in place of the 81-year-old could further create chaos at Red Bull.

For Marko, there’s always going to be a point where he may want to move or stop as he gets older. But, it will also stir the pot at what looks like an unsettled Red Bull.
Johnny Herbert told Besteonlinecasino

Sebastian Vettel is undoubtedly one of the most mature figures in the world of Formula 1. However, Vettel might find himself in a power struggle with the pre-existing Red Bull leadership to get influence over the team’s decisions. Although, the four-time world champion is yet to explicitly show interest in taking over Helmut Marko’s role.

Honda leaves door open for Max Verstappen amid Aston Martin rumors

HRC President Koji Watanabe and Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull role will be ‘good for F1’

Sebastian Vettel is one of the most outspoken figures in the racing world. The four-time world champion has raised voice on a variety of issues including LGBTQ+ rights, participation of women in motorsport, and sustainability. Vettel understands the global landscape and what needs to change to keep Formula 1 sustainable for the future. While his incredible career serves as the right background when it comes to managing a top team like Red Bull.

Sebastian Vettel's Race for Women initiative — Sebastian Vettel’s Race for Women initiative (via Autosport)

Though, Johnny Herbert pointed out that such an advisory role at Red Bull would require a lot of time away from home. Sebastian Vettel, who retired from F1 at the end of 2022 to spend more time with his family might not be so willing to travel for the majority of the year. Nevertheless, Herbert asserted that the German driver’s arrival to the Austrian team would undoubtedly be beneficial for the sport.

This would be a great story if Sebastian Vettel replaced Helmut Marko and I think he would do a great job. But, it is a lot of travelling and a lot of commitment because it would mean being away from his young family. I hope he does the job as it would be good for F1.
Johnny Herbert added

Sebastian Vettel could be the ideal fit to fill in for the massive shoes of Helmut Marko at Red Bull. The German could bring in a new perspective at the team, away from Marko’s infamous approach, particularly towards young drivers.

Vettel’s historic era at Milton Keynes remains engraved in the memory of most racing fans. As such, the four-time world champion’s return to the Austrian squad would be nothing short of a dream reunion. However, it remains to be seen if such a move is made once Helmut Marko decides to call it quits.

Tags: Helmut Marko Johnny Herbert Sebastian Vettel

#About the Author

Armaan Agarwal

(2579 Articles Published)

Armaan Agarwal is a Motorsport Sub-editor and Content Manager at Firstsportz. He has written over 2500 articles with around 1000 edited pieces under his belt. Armaan has years of experience in the field of journalism, having followed Formula 1 and NASCAR for almost a decade. Nico Rosberg's title victory at the 2016 Abu Dhabi GP against Lewis Hamilton remains engraved in his memory. He started his journey with his own motorsport blog in 2017. At Firstsportz, Armaan provides deep insight into the sport for fans through his special editorial pieces. Armaan has several other skills, including social media content creation, script writing, and debating. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communication with a gold medal from St. Xavier’s University Kolkata. Presently, he is pursuing his Post Graduation in Broadcast Journalism at the India Today Media Institute with a keen eye at the ever-evolving dynamics of a newsroom. Apart from motorsport, he is an avid reader and keeps himself up to date with current affairs.

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