MARKO: “RED BULL WILL FOCUS ON YOUNG DRIVERS, NOT RUSSELL”

Despite George Russell’s contract with Mercedes expiring in a year, Helmut Marko states that Red Bull is focusing on its own talents.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has indicated that the Austrian brand will look to its young drivers rather than Formula 1 stars for the future.

Red Bull is searching for the best driver to accompany Max Verstappen, especially as Sergio Perez has recently struggled to keep up with his teammate despite having a contract for next year. Perez has only scored 41 points in the last 12 Grand Prix, which is just 21% of Verstappen’s 195 points, costing Red Bull dearly in the championship race where McLaren has gained a comfortable lead.

Red Bull could consider race winner George Russell since his contract with Mercedes only runs until the end of 2025. However, Marko emphasized that despite praising the British driver, he is not a viable option.

In an interview with, Marko stated, “George Russell is on par with Hamilton in qualifying, if not faster. However, Russell is tied to Mercedes-Benz, and we are currently focusing on our young talents.”

“For example, we see this with Colapinto. He was relatively inexperienced and not very successful in junior series—although it’s worth noting he never had the best teams—but now he is performing incredibly well.”

“Now let’s see what our young drivers, including Yuki Tsunoda, can do. He can also be classified as a young driver. But as I mentioned earlier, how does he compare to Lawson?”

Liam Lawson stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo for the last six races of the 2024 season after the experienced driver’s performance did not meet Red Bull’s expectations, marking his return to the Formula 1 grid as a full-time driver. Lawson will compete against Tsunoda, who has earned Red Bull’s trust but has yet to convince team leaders to give him a chance in the main team.

Additionally, 20-year-old Isack Hadjar is fighting for the Formula 2 championship, while Red Bull Junior Team member Arvid Lindblad finished fourth in this year’s Formula 3. Hadjar’s rivals in F2, Colapinto and Oliver Bearman, have also made an impact in their first F1 races, with Argentine driver Colapinto achieving an impressive eighth place for Williams in Baku. Marko believes this demonstrates that young drivers can deliver satisfactory results.

Marko stated, “Colapinto is definitely one of the future drivers. His performances in Baku and Singapore were very impressive. But I used that as an example.”

“You can also mention Bearman, who shows that young talents in Formula 2 have the potential to be impressive in Formula 1. Therefore, unlike in the past, as a top-tier team, you don’t necessarily need drivers with three to five years of experience.”