“I’m almost 80, that would be something!”: Sebastian Vettel tipped to be Helmut Marko’s replacement at Red Bull following his retirement

Helmut Marko has been an ever-present figure for Red Bull and has been an advisor to them since 2005. Now almost 80 years old, he may look to retire soon but suggested that four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel could be the one to replace him.

Midway into the 2022 season, Vettel announced that he would retire from F1 at the end of the campaign. It was a sad announcement for the F1 community to come to terms with as Vettel is one of the most popular figures in the sport. Even though the 35-year-old is stepping away, the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso feel fairly confident about him returning soon.

Plenty of people including F1 drivers have previously stated that Vettel would make an amazing team principal. So far, he hasn’t commented on his future plans in or away from F1, but Marko has kept the door at Red Bull open for him.

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Red Bull boss had discussions with Sebastian Vettel in Abu Dhabi

Vettel spent the best days of his F1 career with Red Bull. He won four World Titles with the Milton-Keynes-based outfit and established himself as a legend of the sport. After leaving the Austrian team, he spent seven years at Ferrari winning 14 races, and the last two years of his career were spent at Aston Martin.

Marko told Sky that Vettel returning to top management shouldn’t be a surprise, and they even had a chat about it in Abu Dhabi. “It is not impossible that he will return to a top management position,” he said. “I’m almost 80. That would be something!”

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What did Marko and Vettel talk about in Abu Dhabi?

Before the leaving the F1 paddock one final time as a driver, Vettel made sure that he visited the garages of Ferrari and Red Bull (his two former teams). The 35-year-old spent a significant amount of time at the Red Bull garage, and caught up with Marko and team principal Christian Horner. He was even seen at a party post the Abu Dhabi GP alongside Horner and 2022 World Champion Max Verstappen.

Marko insisted that Vettel’s discussion with them was purely ‘a chat’. However, there were topics related to his Red Bull homecoming that were brought up.

“We had a discussion,” he said. “And I think if he could get a top position in management. That could appeal to him. But now let’s just let him plant some trees. And then we’ll see what happens.”