Max Verstappen revealed he had a \u201cvery emotional call\u201d with Helmut Marko upon news of his departure from Red Bull.<\/p>\n
Marko stood down from his role as senior advisor to the team at the end of last season, having been at the helm of Red Bull\u2019s junior programme throughout its time in Formula 1 to date.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen: \u2018All good things come to an end\u2019 with Marko departure<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Marko was a key figure in the Red Bull setup for two decades, and decided to step away from his responsibilities with the team with one year remaining on his contract.<\/p>\n Verstappen joined Sebastian Vettel in becoming four-time World Champions having risen through the Red Bull ranks, and the Dutch driver has spoken on multiple occasions about the positive impact Marko had on his career in Formula 1.<\/p>\n Speaking about the same conversation in December, Marko acknowledged there was \u201ca certain melancholy in the air\u201d<\/a> when talking to Verstappen in the wake of the announcement.<\/p>\n With time having passed, the Red Bull driver confirmed he and Marko would remain in contact, but there would be a difference in the Red Bull garage without him being there.<\/p>\n More on Red Bull and Racing Bulls\u2019 F1 2026 launch<\/p>\n Revealed: Red Bull\u2019s 2026 F1 livery breaks cover at Ford Detroit season launch<\/a><\/p>\n Racing Bulls reveals new-look VCARB03 livery for F1 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, for sure,\u201d Verstappen told Sky Sports News when put to him that he\u2019ll miss Marko\u2019s presence at the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, we had a very emotional call after Abu Dhabi. It will be a bit different, but all good things come to an end at some point.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019ll see each other anyway around, if that means that, you know, I\u2019m going to Graz or whatever, we have a lunch together.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, we have achieved so many great things together that will always stay on our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen has started all of his races in Formula 1 to date under the Red Bull umbrella, beginning his career with Toro Rosso before stepping up to Red Bull Racing in 2016, winning his first race with the team at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n