Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor and the architect behind the careers of Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and several other elite drivers, has spoken about the drivers he failed to secure and the prospects who never fulfilled their promise within the Red Bull programme. His remarks offer a rare glimpse into the standards and expectations inside one of the toughest talent systems in motorsport.
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Lando Norris was the one who slipped away
Appearing on F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, Marko was asked whether there was a driver he tried to sign but ultimately missed out on. He answered immediately.
“We were in talks with Lando Norris very early on.”
“In the end we weren’t able to get him, but I think he would have been a great fit for us.”
Norris joined McLaren as a junior in 2017 and made his full-time F1 debut with the team in 2019. Eight years later, he leads the 2025 Drivers’ Championship.
Red Bull already had Max Verstappen in place during the years Norris was rising through the ranks. Given the long friendship and mutual respect between the two drivers, the pairing would have created one of the most competitive and intriguing internal dynamics in the sport.
Marko noted that despite his efforts, not every target can be secured.
“We can’t get everyone, so we need to focus. What we’re looking for is a talented player who can become a champion.”
“Talent alone is not enough” – why some Red Bull juniors fail
Marko was then asked whether he has ever made a wrongful dismissal of a junior driver. He admitted to errors, but not in the way people might expect.
“Yes,” he said when asked if he ever misjudged a driver.
But when asked if he cut someone too early, his response was firm:
“No. In fact, the opposite.”
He explained that failures in the programme often stem from giving a young driver too much patience rather than ending their tenure prematurely.
“There were a lot of drivers who I was sure would be successful, but despite their talent they just didn’t take it seriously or weren’t as mentally strong as they needed to be.”
He pointed to the harsh reality faced by drivers who transition from junior categories into Formula 1.
“Some people mistakenly think that when you go from F2 to F1, someone will carry your helmet and it will be an easy life, but the reality is the opposite. The pressure is doubled and you have to perform every lap.”
“Not many can withstand that pressure.”
His comments underline the core philosophy of Red Bull’s system: natural ability is only the first filter. Mental resilience, discipline and constant performance determine who survives.
A programme that “deserves appreciation”
Marko has long been criticised for the perceived brutality of Red Bull’s selection process, but he insists that the numbers justify the approach.
“The hardest part is always having to announce the end of an F1 programme, or when you tell someone that their path to F1 is over.”
However, he points out that very few drivers leave the programme without a strong career ahead of them.
“But we keep statistics. Over 95 percent of the drivers in our program who don’t make it to F1 go on to race in Formula E, sports cars or something like that.”
“They’re making more money than they would at a regular job and they’re doing something they love, so at the end of the day, I think they should all be grateful to have been in our program.”
Marko’s comments reveal both pride and pragmatism. For him, Red Bull’s junior system is not just about finding champions, but ensuring that the runners-up still have long-term careers in professional motorsport.
