Red Bull F1 motorsport adviser Helmut Marko says he “fully” supports Sebastian Vettel’s decision to retire from F1.
Helmut Marko was the head of Red Bull F1’s infamous driver programme, and led the now 35-year-old Sebastian Vettel into F1 to become a four-time F1 world champion.
However, Sebastian Vettel has since moved on to Ferrari and Aston Martin F1, and is now forced to fight at the bottom.
“I thought his retirement speech was very strong,” Helmut Marko told Sky Deutschland.
“It shows that his interests are now going in a different direction.”
“Of course, we also have to take into account that he doesn’t have a competitive cockpit and probably wouldn’t have found it. So for me, the decision is absolutely the right one.”
Helmut Marko also told Osterreich that Sebastian Vettel’s “priorities” have changed since his time as one of the most dominant F1 drivers of all time.
“Vettel’s meticulousness fit perfectly in our DNA. Everything worked perfectly together,” said Helmut Marko.
“He has other priorities now and he hasn’t even been on the podium with his car, so it’s logical for him to draw this conclusion.”
“If you can’t put your heart and soul into it, you can’t move forward.”
Helmut Marko says Sebastian Vettel’s situation is a stark contrast to Fernando Alonso’s. Alonso is set to replace Vettel at Aston Martin F1 despite having just turned 41.
“He’s still super fast,” said Helmut Marko.
“It’s unbelievable how much he’s still producing. For me it’s a surprise of the season.”
“I think he can still win as a driver. The only question is whether Aston Martin can offer him a package.”
Category: F1 / red bull / Sebastian Vettel