Martin Brundle reckons there’ll be a “different style” of management at Red Bull’s driver academy if Helmut Marko’s “ideal successor”, Sebastian Vettel, replaces the Austrian.

Marko has been one of the pillars of Red Bull for the past two decades, the Austrian having played a defining role in the careers of seven of today’s drivers.

Could Sebastian Vettel replace Helmut Marko at Red Bull?

That list is topped by four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, who signed with Red Bull’s junior programme before being placed with Toro Rosso in 2015. The rest, as they say, is history.

Such is the bond between Marko and Verstappen, it has been suggested that the 81-year-old’s contract is tied to the driver’s.

Neither though, is expected – at least contractually – to leave Red Bull any time soon.

While Verstappen has a deal that runs through to the end of the F1 2028 season, Marko’s most recent contract is reportedly a three-year deal that expires at the end of 2027.

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But already the 81-year-old is giving some thought as to who could replace him. And “ideally”, he’d like Red Bull’s first four-time World Champion, Vettel, to take the job.

“I think he would be the ideal successor candidate,” Marko told Sky Deutschland.

“It is clear that at some point you can no longer do it, not least because of your age. Because those travel efforts are no small thing.

“Of course, it would be great if a guy like Sebastian could take over. You have the side of the junior programme, he’s already working with girls here in the go-karts in Saudi Arabia.

“I don’t think he needs a year [to get up to speed]. That’s two races and then he has it under control.

“But this is a new approach and I think Sebastian has found himself now.

“He knows what he wants to do in the future and that is first and foremost motor racing. He may be a forest owner in Austria with his own hunting grounds, but you can combine all that.”

Sky F1 pundits David Croft and Brundle discussed the prospect during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix broadcast, the latter acknowledging Vettel’s approach would be “somewhat different” to Marko’s.

“Raymond Vermeulen, Max Verstappen’s manager, in conversation with Dr. Helmut Marko and Christian Horner,” Croft said.

“Marko, not looking overly pleased tonight, nominated Sebastian Vettel as his successor to him at Red Bull on the day that he decides to stop looking after the driver development program.”

Brundle replied: “A somewhat different style I imagine that would be!”

Marko has earned a reputation over the years of being a hard task master, Liam Lawson recently revealing 6am phone calls to chastise a driver are not uncommon.

“It’s normally a 6am phone call or something like that!” Lawson said. “And it’ll be, ‘You need to perform better. Next weekend, if you don’t perform better, you’re in trouble’.”

Isack Hadjar was the most recent recipient of an early morning Marko call after his “embarrassing” formation lap crash and tears on his Racing Bulls debut in Australia.

“I found it embarrassing myself,” Hadjar said. “I know Helmut. I had him on the phone a day later, all good. I’ve known him since a few years now. I know how he works.”

Vettel, in sharp contrast, builds bee hotels, quit Formula 1 to spend more time with his children and held a Race4Women [Challenge Me] event at the Saudi Arabian weekend.

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