Helmut Marko is today regarded as the mastermind chief advisor at Red Bull Racing — the brains behind the Milton-Keynes-based outfit’s famed driver academy. But like most F1 chiefs have, Marko had also started his journey to the top by being behind the wheel himself.
While his racing career never made the headlines, he has had some bizarre moments, including one where he got the opportunity to have someone killed. Andrew Benson of the BBC recently appeared on The Fast and the Curious podcast where he spoke about one of Marko’s most memorable — and frightening moments — from his driving days.
It happened at the Targa Florio, a ‘public road endurance’ race that was held in Sicily (Italy) until 1977. Benson took the hosts back to the 1972 Targa Florio’s afterparty, where Carlo Chiti, manager of Alfa Romeo, approached Marko, asking him to go talk to a particular man.
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“There’s this man, you need to come and meet,” the man told to Marko, as revealed by Benson. Marko, having drunk a few glasses of wine, simply refused. Chiti, however, insisted. “You don’t have a choice”, he told Marko. “You have to go and see this guy.”
Likely understanding the severity of the situation, Marko understood that he had to go. He met the guy and saw him sitting surrounded by two men on either side.
Benson added, “The guy said how impressed he was by Marko’s performance [at the Targa Florio]. And he says you’ve got a wish free.” At first, it may have sounded like a normal wish.
However, as it turns out, it came from an Italian Mafia boss — the biggest in Sicily — offering Marko an opportunity to have someone ‘killed’ without having to give anything in return. Thankfully, Marko never wanted this wish to be granted, which is likely why he went on to make a name for himself in F1.
