End for F1 classics?

Helmut Marko: “Monaco will not work in the long term”

Helmut Marko criticizes the conditions of the Monaco GP.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

After the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco on Sunday, where practically no overtaking was possible, similar to Singapore, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said at a press conference in Graz on Tuesday that this would be "distorted and would not work in the long term": "You have to come up with something, either from the track layout or a different pit stop strategy. For example, that you have to make two stops to use all three sets of tires."

In Monaco, everyone noticed that they were "sneaking around", even though they pay so much money there, Marko continued. The contract with Formula 1 for the Red Bull Ring in Upper Styria runs until 2030, while Marko's contract with Red Bull Racing expires at the end of 2026. He will discuss and decide whether he will end his involvement in Formula 1 after that "when the time is right". Marko did not completely dismiss the option of being available as a consultant for another team, but "everything is currently focused on Red Bull and Max Verstappen".

Copy & paste in Formula 1
In the current season, there is not much left of Red Bull Racing's dominance in the first two races. Marko explained this with several reasons: "It's the regulations in their third year and people are copying. Some copy better and some make the copy even better and that has now happened with McLaren. Ferrari has also constantly developed further." In addition, Verstappen had a technical error in Melbourne and retired while in the lead.

Marko also cited problems with the convergence between the simulator and reality as a further reason: "Both drivers came to Monte-Carlo enthusiastic and said that the car was great over the kerbs and as soon as they were in the car, they said 'undriveable'." Another reason for McLaren in particular catching up was updates and Rob Marshall, who had switched from Red Bull Racing to McLaren and now, after around nine months, "the first fruits are noticeable", said the man from Graz.

Verstappen, on the other hand, had coped well with all the turmoil surrounding Christian Horner: "He took a step back and concentrated on racing. So he did very well." As far as he knows, the matter between Horner and his former assistant is not yet legally settled, "but that is something you have to put aside, especially in a situation where you are so challenged as a team and technically and everyone has to pull together".

It is still unclear who will take the second cockpit at Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen from 2025. According to Marko, a decision will be made "soon" and, when asked, he gave a time horizon of weeks rather than months.

The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

(Bild: AP)

Appreciation for Spielberg
The fact that the Formula 1 contract for the Red Bull Ring runs until 2030 is "somewhat reassuring" in Marko's eyes, as he is familiar with circuits that sometimes pay three times the entry fee. He also sees this long-term contract as "appreciation for the event. It's such trivial things, but nowhere else in the entire series are there such clean toilets and facilities, and the traffic is optimally resolved. In Imola, for example, there are traffic jams en masse." He also feels that Spielberg is "unique" in terms of landscape and architecture.