F1 outfit Red Bull bid adieu to Helmut Marko on Tuesday as the 82-year-old departs after a two-decade association with the Austrian manufacturer.
Red Bull seeks to assume more control and future proof it’s
organisational structure as they look to turn the page on a year that saw four-time World Champion Max Verstappen’s undisputed reign at the top dissipate as McLaren’s Lando Norris edged to the title ahead of the Dutchman.
“20 Years, 417 Races, 6 Constructors’ Championships, 8 Drivers’ Championships. Thank you, Helmut,” Red Bull wrote.
View this post on Instagram
Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase might step back from his role next year due to personal circumstances and could take a more senior trackside position with Oracle Red Bull Racing, according to reports.
Verstappen put in maximum effort to close the substantial 102-point lead that Norris held at one point during the season. However, the Brit secured victory following a strong campaign. In contrast, his compatriot Lewis Hamilton experienced his first season without a podium finish in his debut Ferrari campaign.
Seven-time champion Hamilton’s impressive record in the top tier suffered significantly as he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, only to see the Spaniard propel Williams to a fifth-place finish in the championship. Sainz achieved two podium finishes during the season, helping Williams accumulate 137 points by the year’s end.
Sainz has a proven history of improving the standings of the teams he races for. With Renault, he helped the team rise from ninth place in his debut season in 2016 to fourth by the time he left in 2018. At McLaren, he aided the team’s advancement from sixth place in 2018 to third in 2020. His subsequent move to Ferrari saw the iconic team climb from sixth place to second before his departure last year.
