Can Sebastian Vettel become Red Bull’s next Helmut Marko?

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Succession planning is causing many leaders to stumble: Business leaders, politicians and monarchs often see themselves as irreplaceable - and view potential successors as a threat to their eternal dominance.

It's no different in Formula 1: for many years, anyone identified by the media or insiders as "the next Bernie Ecclestone" immediately had to tread carefully.

Helmut Marko long occupied a separate but closely related role in the Formula 1 universe. As a contemporary and friend of Jochen Rindt, the only posthumous world champion managed by Ecclestone, Marko could, in another life, have played a central role in the team Ecclestone and Rindt wanted to establish when Jochen wanted to end his driving career.

Marko was a very capable racing driver in his time. He had honed his skills as a youngster alongside Rindt at the wheel of a VW Beetle, racing through the mountain roads of their native Styria. His success in Formula 1 remained modest, due to mediocre equipment and an eye injury that forced his retirement in 1972.

In the sports car sector, however, Marko showed extraordinary courage and finesse: he set record laps at the Targa Florio and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the fast but treacherous Porsche 917.

How Helmut Marko became a talent scout

Later, Marko became friends with Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz. It's no surprise, then, that he eventually became Red Bull's top talent scout. While data analysis was still in its infancy in Rindt's time, Marko later combined his experience with telemetry data and knew exactly what makes a great racing driver.

Many young drivers received Red Bull's support, but not all of them were able to withstand the pressure of Marko's expectations. One who did was Sebastian Vettel, now retired but a four-time world champion—and apparently increasingly looking for new challenges.

Marko is among those who want to fill this gap, having recently told Sky that Vettel would be "the ideal successor candidate" when he himself retires.

"I think Sebastian has found himself," said Marko. "He knows what he wants to do in the future, and that's motorsport, first and foremost."

Helmut Marko's tasks at Red Bull

The timing would be apt: At 81, Marko has recently appeared increasingly embarrassed in the Formula 1 paddock. The deaths of his friends Mateschitz and Niki Lauda hit him hard. Tensions also arose during the change of leadership at Red Bull following Mateschitz's death from cancer in 2022.

Marko's role as "driver advisor" was multifaceted: he was Mateschitz's all-powerful minister without portfolio - an omnipresent figure that never really suited the boss of the British Formula 1 team, Christian Horner.

Since the turmoil at the beginning of 2024, there has been an uneasy peace - mainly because Red Bull's greatest asset, Max Verstappen, made it clear that he would follow Marko if he had to leave .

It is therefore not surprising that as Marko grows older, he finds the political intrigues and the rigors of travel stressful.

Sebastian Vettel in "retirement"

Vettel is at a very different point in his life. After retiring at the end of 2022 at the age of 35 to spend more time with his young family, he quickly realized he missed other opportunities.

He was involved in environmental and educational projects, but over the past 18 months, despite his criticism of the environmental impact of motorsports, he has increasingly been drawn back to that world. He even overcame his long-standing dislike of Saudi Arabia and recently supported a program there to promote young women in karting.

Although a planned comeback as a driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans did not materialize, Vettel collected historic cars, including a former Williams FW14B of Nigel Mansell and a McLaren MP4/8, even presenting the Williams with sustainable fuel.

Even though he retired a rich man, you can either spend money or keep it - and some of his current investments, especially in Saudi Arabia, suggest that he is now looking for sources of income again.

How Vettel would manage the Red Bull juniors

Vettel as Marko's successor would also suit Christian Horner, who continues to maintain a good relationship with Vettel. But what would a junior program under Sebastian Vettel look like?

Probably gentler than under Marko. Marko is notorious for his lack of patience with mediocrity—the list of failed talents is long, even among those who made it to Formula 1.

There are many stories of Marko taking drivers aside, even after a victory, to use telemetry data to point out errors in a particular corner that cost them time. Vettel, now a tree protector and hobby beekeeper, might take a more empathetic approach.

How Marko dealt with Vettel

But probably not much gentler. Because he, too, knows what it means to achieve greatness and that success is hard work. At an Autosport Awards event many years ago—after a few free drinks—Vettel parodied Marko and then-FIA President Jean Todt on stage so perfectly that it thrilled the audience.

He also recounted an anecdote about how, after finishing third in the race, Marko "put him in a headlock" for having missed an opportunity in qualifying. The exact words were somewhat more explicit, Vettel reported with a grin.

"He had no problem giving me a piece of his mind," Vettel said, "and it will probably never be any different."

If Vettel really wants to find the next Max Verstappen or even the next Sebastian Vettel, he will have to adopt this relentless perfectionist attitude.

Johnny Herbert believes: Vettel would make it

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has every confidence in Vettel's ability to do this. Speaking to Best Online Casino Nederland, Herbert said: "I think he would do a great job. It would be good for Formula 1 if he took on this task. I hope he does."

But Vettel himself has to figure out whether the "extensive travel and the great commitment" are compatible with his family life, says Herbert. "He would probably be separated from his young family for a long time." And Vettel has repeatedly emphasized how important it is to him to see his children grow up in "retirement."

On the other hand, a shake-up at Red Bull could soon be necessary, says Herbert: "For Marko, the time will come when he might want to quit or retire, as he's getting older. That would cause unrest in an already strained Red Bull team." But perhaps not so much if a successor has already been chosen.