Helmut Marko is afraid Ferrari’s poaching threats might work as Red Bull fails to pay employees more due to F1 budget cap
Helmut Marko has talked about the reason why Red Bull might lose employees because of budget restrictions as Ferrari's poaching threats loom over them.
Follow Us
Only a few days ago, Red Bull‘s Chief Engineer Adrian Newey exposed some cracks in the team when he said it looks all smooth on top, but is not so much underneath. The legendary F1 racecar designer popped the bubble for all those fans who were harboring the fantasy that Red Bull is completely invincible and there is nothing that the team can do wrong. And now, RBR Chief Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has given another worrying information about Red Bull in relation to their employee’ salaries.
In 2021, the FIA decided to impose a budget cap on all the participating F1 teams as a part of its attempt to bring the contest closer. Red Bull were the only ones who allegedly surpassed the 2021 budget cap by a £1.8M, resulting in some awful repercussions that had to be borne by the team. Now, Helmut Marko has admitted that, in order to abide by the restrictions imposed by the cost ceiling, Red Bull are unable to provide increments to their employees.
Recent F1 news has been filled with reports of Ferrari targeting Red Bull employees and poaching them to increase their advantage in the races. Amidst these threats, Marko is afraid Red Bull might lose its engineers soon. He said, “That’s a big problem. Especially the amounts that are offered [by other teams]. Sometimes they get twice what we paid them. The factor that still keeps us halfway together as a team is the emotion, the passion.”
Helmut Marko reckons Max Verstappen’s brilliance has attracted employees to Red Bull
Red Bull is one of the biggest teams in the current F1 grid, and they have also gotten funds from their 2021 World Constructors’ Championship win. Even after that, the cost cap restrictions have held the team back from paying their engineers heftily. Helmut Marko has also noted that other rival teams have offered more pay to the employees. But he has said they are still at Red Bull because of their passion for the team, and their aspirations to work alongside a brilliant driver like Max Verstappen.
Helmut Marko said, “Of course, it also makes a big difference that you have a driver like Max. It radiates, and everyone in this successful package wants to be a part of it.“
But Max Verstappen is currently entangled in a civil war with his own Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez as both of them have their eyes fixated on the World Championship. Only 14 points separate the two forces, and Sergio has been known to perform well in street circuits like the one in Monaco. Thus, fans have suspected the Mexican is at an advantage at the Monaco GP, but some still believe Max Verstappen will be able to defeat his teammate.
In case you missed it:
Stay Updated!
Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)