Shortly after the Abu Dhabi GP — which ended with Lando Norris’ victory and Max Verstappen missing out on the title — Marko sparked some speculation about his future with Red Bull, which the team later officially confirmed.

Contrary to rumors suggesting Red Bull wanted to part ways with him, the Austrian revealed in an exclusive GPblog interview that his departure was entirely his own decision, putting the speculation to rest.

Speaking to Sport1 and F1-Insider, the four-time world champion said: “I was just as surprised as everyone else. I wish Helmut all the best for his future and a well-deserved retirement.”

“Helmut can call himself the originator of Red Bull’s success in Formula 1,” Vettel added, also noting that Marko was “the architect of success not only in terms of driver selection — central decisions on the team’s lineup, personnel, and strategy were also made by him.”

The first fruits of Marko’s empire came during the peak years of the former German driver, who was the first to deliver a championship to the Milton Keynes team in 2010 and continued to do so for four consecutive years until 2013.

Following his exit, the Austrian advisor has put all speculation to rest: he has no plans to return to Formula 1 in any capacity, not even as a pundit or journalist.

In an exclusive interview with GPblog, Marko didn’t rule out the possibility of attending “one or two Grand Prix,” but made it clear he has no interest in returning full-time.

The Graz-born executive also dismissed any role as an F1 analyst, jokingly saying, “You’ll never see me running around with a microphone making interviews.”