Helmut Marko closes the door on the return of former Red Bull drivers

Daniil Kvyat made his return to Formula 1 with Toro Rosso (which becomes AlphaTauri in 2020). The former protégé of the Red Bull Junior Team returned to the Austrian fold after being dismissed shortly before the end of the 2017 season. Brendon Hartley, on the other hand, was dismissed from the Junior Team in 2010 while he was still racing in Formula Renault 3.5. However, he made his return to the Red Bull fold at the end of 2017, making his Formula 1 debut with Toro Rosso. Nonetheless, he was let go at the end of 2018 and replaced by Alexander Albon (who was also previously dropped by the Junior Team).

These comebacks occurred to compensate for the shortage of drivers holding a super license or having enough points to qualify for one at Red Bull. The return of Brendon Hartley, who was recruited by Toro Rosso no less than 7 years after his eviction from the Red Bull Junior Team, raised questions about the possible return of other drivers previously ousted from the Junior Team, such as Jean-Éric Vergne and Sébastien Buemi.

But in the columns of the British weekly magazine Autosport, Helmut Marko has definitively dismissed this hypothesis: « The subject is closed. They (the former drivers of the Junior Team) are now making a career in other disciplines of motorsport. Now, if a driver like Jean-Éric Vergne becomes a Formula E world champion, it is something completely different compared to the requirements we have in Formula 1. Today, he (Jean-Éric Vergne) would be more or less a rookie. He would need a whole season to adapt to the particularities of the Pirelli tires. »

In 2019, the two Toro Rosso drivers were previously dismissed by the energy drink brand. Despite this, Helmut Marko does not believe that Red Bull’s expectations were too high. « At the beginning, the Junior Team was a kind of patronage because everyone knew how expensive motorsport was, and then Dietrich Mateschitz (the head of the Red Bull company) said he wanted to give drivers their chance. And then, we suddenly found ourselves with two Formula 1 teams. And there, it was clear that supporting a driver because he had relative success was not enough. »

« It has therefore been decided that the drivers of our Junior Team must have at least the potential to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. And that is why the selection has become more rigorous. Furthermore, I do not understand the criticism directed at us, given that we fund drivers for one or even two full seasons. Without this funding, they wouldn’t have even found themselves in this situation. And if they are not good enough to race in Formula 1, well, there are only 20 drivers, and we know full well that these 20 drivers did not reach F1 solely because of their talent. »

« Finally, how many drivers from our program have won a Grand Prix? Sebastian (Vettel), Daniel (Ricciardo), and Max (Verstappen). A podium, I can’t even tell you how many drivers have managed to get a podium. And now, they are copying us, and none of the other young driver programs have managed to achieve results as good as ours. »

This year, Alexander Albon will be lined up alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. The Austrian team will aim for the title after a first season with the Honda engine meeting the expectations of the energy drinks brand.