Christian Horner claims Helmut Marko is similar to F1 legend Niki Lauda

Helmut Marko used to race for BRM from 1971 to 1972.

Christian Horner claims Helmut Marko is similar to F1 legend Niki Lauda

Helmut Marko and Niki Lauda (Credits: F1i.com)

Helmut Marko has been with Red Bull since 2005. Heading their junior driver program, amongst other roles, he has a reputation for being very blunt and straightforward with people, especially young drivers. Red Bull principal Christian Horner recently talked about this trait of Marko’s and how it makes him similar to Niki Lauda.

Horner said that Marko’s straightforward attitude puts him in the same bracket as Niki Lauda, who also held an advisory role in Mercedes until he died in 2019. Horner said that the two come from the same generation of drivers, which further increases the resemblance between the two.

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“He says things as he sees them. In many ways he is very similar to how Niki Lauda was, they come from the same generation and have the same character. I’ve always had a very direct relationship with him and that’s why I know it,” Horner was quoted by SoyMotor

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Christian Horner also labeled Marko as a ‘nightmare’ for the communications manager of the team. He said, “Helmut is a communications manager’s nightmare. So when he gets smart, journalists just need to push him to get a front-page headline.”

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Helmut Marko is looking to strike down Red Bull’s young drivers again

Helmut Marko
Helmut Marko (Credits: Paddock Magazine)

Red Bull’s junior driver program has not been going according to plan. The firing of Nyck de Vries was the latest evidence of this. Recently, Red Bull principal Christian Horner announced that Red Bull would thin out its F2 drivers to invest more in younger drivers. As Horner and Marko decide who will get the sack, Red Bull’s F2 driver Enzo Fittipaldi has discussed his current situation.

Fittipaldi said that he is unaware of the internal talks and is focusing on securing good results in F2. As Helmut Marko is known for his no-nonsense policy, it is surely of no doubt that Fittipaldi will be under the Austrian’s radar. Fittipaldi is currently at a low P7 in the driver’s standings in F2.

“I haven’t actually seen that. I’m just focused on doing my job in my Formula 2 season and securing great results until the end of the season,” Fittipaldi told Mirror.

Red Bull has currently invested in six drivers in F2, which is a record most for any single team to have. While the higher-ranked drivers like Ayumu Iwasa (P3) will probably be safe, the same cannot be said for drivers like Jack Crawford (P13), Zane Maloney (P10), and Isack Hadjar (P15).

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