Not every driver has been able to assert themselves at Red Bull in Formula 1 – but Helmut Marko has, by his own admission, misjudged one driver in particular
Helmut Marko has already helped numerous Formula 1 drivers make it to the top tier. In addition to success stories like those of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, who later won numerous world championship titles for Red Bull, there were also some flops.
Looking back, Marko is particularly annoyed about one decision. “My biggest mistake? No doubt, that’s Nyck de Vries,” several media outlets quote from the current issue of Autosprint. The Dutchman only drove ten races for the then AlphaTauri team in 2023.
“He had an incredible track record,” Marko explains his decision at the time. After all, de Vries had won numerous karting titles and later, in formula racing, among other things, the title in Formula 2 in 2019 and two years later in Formula E, where he even became world champion.
He made his surprise debut in Formula 1 in 2022 because Alexander Albon was unable to race for Williams in Monza. The Dutchman finished in ninth place on his premiere in the premier class and thus scored points. “He was very good on his debut for Williams in Monza,” Marko also emphasizes.
Marko explains: “He has not developed”
So they saw potential in de Vries back then and signed him as a regular driver for the 2024 season for the sister team, now called Racing Bulls. “But when he came to AlphaTauri, he didn’t develop,” Marko describes the problem.
De Vries failed to score points in any of the first ten races of the season and only managed to beat Yuki Tsunoda in the internal qualifying duel twice. So it soon became clear to Marko “that Nyck was the wrong choice.”
“And in trying to go faster, he made mistakes,” Marko adds. So, after just ten races, they decided to put de Vries out the door again and give Daniel Ricciardo another chance instead.
The Dutchman then returned to endurance racing, where he took second place in the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours, among other things, and to Formula E. He also competed in a few races in Super Formula in 2024.
However, he is unlikely to get a second chance in Formula 1 – and, judging by his statements, he will certainly not get one at Red Bull.
