Retiring or working elsewhere: What will Marko do after Red Bull?

At 82 years old, it wouldn’t be surprising if Marko opts for retirement; enjoying time spent with his family and staying active as a hotel-owner. However, it’s hard to imagine him saying a final goodbye to Formula 1, even after deciding to depart Red Bull Racing.

Marko seems, in a good way, addicted to the sport; otherwise he wouldn't have chosen to stay closely involved with Red Bull Racing until the age of 82. Still, the chances seem slim that he will take up another role elsewhere on the grid. If he had wanted to stay with a team, he would surely have done everything in his power to remain at Red Bull.

In any case, the question is whether Marko would fit in at another team, and whether they would want him. First and foremost, the former driver is and remains the face of Red Bull Racing; moreover, he’s someone who knows how to stir up controversy. There isn’t a team in the paddock that hasn’t taken aim at Marko verbally across his two decades in the sport.

Take Aston Martin for example, a team quickly linked due to Marko’s former colleague Adrian Newey. In the past, Marko has been critical of Lance Stroll. Would the team owner Lawrence Stroll have forgotten about something like that?

Or Mercedes, where fellow Austrian Toto Wolff is the CEO. It was only just over a week ago that Wolff hit back hard after Marko’s criticism of Andrea Kimi Antonelli. “How brainless can you be?” Wolff raged.

Helmut Marko and Formula 1 are now synonymous. No one should be surprised if the Austrian remains involved in the sport in some capacity, but in a different role than before. Given his ever-spicy opinions, he fits the bill of an ideal pundit.

German and Austrian media are undoubtedly already on the line with him, hoping that Marko will join them in that role. If Marko wants to stay involved in F1 in any way, that seems like his most logical option.

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