A replacement for Verstappen? Marko has already given up hope

Helmut Marko does not believe he can find a successor to Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is winning everything with Red Bull Racing and is the second champion from Marko's programme after Sebastian Vettel. Yet the Austrian sees the future as bleak.

In 2010, Red Bull Racing became the world champion in drivers and constructors for the first time. An experienced driver had been brought in with Mark Webber, but the young talent Vettel won the world titles between 2010 and 2013. After Vettel, Red Bull were dry for a while, until there was Verstappen.

Marko gave Verstappen his debut in F1 in 2015, becoming the youngest F1 driver of all time. Just a year later, Verstappen was thrown into the deep end at Red Bull Racing, winning his first race immediately for the Austrian racing team. Due to Mercedes' dominance, it took until 2021 for Verstappen to win his first world title.

''He has a certain guts, but I have already given up trying to find a new Verstappen. There is no such thing. I would already be happy if we find a future Grand Prix winner,'' Marko told OE24. It is a clear signal to the Red Bull Junior Team, which currently lacks any major talent. Marko recently added four new names to his line-up with: Pepe Marti, Tim Tramnitz, Kacper Sztuka, and Oliver Goethe.