Today, Helmut Marko is best known for being one of the leading figures at Red Bull, and for his work off the track to spearhead the team’s success in F1. Back in the day, however, Marko was an extremely talented racing driver himself.
Marko won the 1971 24 hours of Le Mans, which is one of the most prestigious races in the world. His success in endurance racing earned him an F1 seat, but things were not quite the same in the ‘pinnacle of motorsports’.
He competed in 10 Grand Prix but failed to score any points. Before he could move to a team that could help him score points or win races, however, Marko suffered a career-ending injury. At the 1972 French GP, a stone thrown up by the car of fellow driver Ronnie Peterson hit his visor, broke through it, and hit his left eye.
The injuries he sustained on his left eye because of the stone permanently blinded him and brought his racing career to an early end.
Helmut Marko didn’t want to complain for the rest of his life
In an interview with former F1 driver Martin Brundle, Marko was talking about the incident which ended his F1 career. Brundle brought up the topic of Marko’s racing career, highlighting the fact that he was very quick, citing his results in endurance racing as an example of that.
Brundle, however, wanted to know if Marko was still frustrated about the stone hitting his eye and blinding him. To Brundle’s surprise, Marko said that the incident took place so long ago that he does not feel affected by it anymore. In fact, Marko revealed that he moved on from it fairly quickly.
“I was in the hospital for two months,” the 80-year-old said. “One night I recognized that it’s over. I have to look forward. Either I’m complaining for the rest of my life or (moving on) to something else. I moved forward.”
Marko and his immense contribution to Red Bull success
On the track, an unfortunate incident ended Marko’s chances of becoming a star in F1. Off it, however, he has made a huge name for himself. The Graz-born former BRM driver’s eye for talent has been widely recognized over the years, and he has helped Red Bull immensely since joining them in 2006.
Marko also heads the team’s academy, and has nurtured talents like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen closely over the years. Now 80 years old, many consider his days in F1 to be numbered and rumors of his retirement have grown stronger.
Team principal Christian Horner, however, insists that Marko still has some years of service left in him. Horner admitted that Helmut Marko’s passion towards F1 remains strong, despite his old age.
