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Helmut Marko

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Helmut Marko

Marko in 2016
Born	(1943-04-27) 27 April 1943 (age 81) Graz, Nazi Germany (now Austria)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Austrian
Active years	1971–1972
Teams	BRM, non-works McLaren
Entries	10 (9 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1971 German Grand Prix
Last entry	1972 French Grand Prix

Helmut Marko (born 27 April 1943) is an Austrian former professional racing driver and a current director of the Red Bull Formula One teams, and head of Red Bull's driver development programme.^[1]

Biography[edit]

Marko was born in Graz, Austria (then part of Nazi Germany). He was a school friend of Jochen Rindt,^[2] who became Formula One world champion in 1970. Marko competed in several race series, including 10 Formula One Grands Prix in 1971 and 1972, but scored no World Championship points.

He had more success in endurance racing, winning the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a Martini-Porsche 917K with Gijs van Lennep. During that year, they set a distance record which remained unbeaten until the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans (5,335.313 km, at an average of 222.304 km/h - changes to the track reduced the average speed.)

At the Targa Florio, he drove the fastest laps around the 72 km Sicilian mountain circuit in the 1972 race, catching up over two minutes on the leader within two laps to finish second by a mere 17 seconds. His fastest lap in the Alfa Romeo 33 was 33 min 41 sec, at an average of 128.253 km/h.^[3]

A few weeks later, during the 1972 French Grand PrixatClermont-Ferrand, a stone thrown up by Ronnie Peterson's March^[4][a] pierced Marko's helmet visor, permanently blinding his left eye and ending his racing career.^[5][6][7][8]

Marko completed a doctorate in law in 1967.^[9] He owns four hotels in Graz – the Schlossberghotel, Augartenhotel, Lendhotel and Kai 36. He was manager for Austrian racing drivers Gerhard Berger and Karl Wendlinger for some years before setting up and running RSM Marko in 1989, a race team competing in Formula 3 and Formula 3000; running under the name Red Bull Junior Team from 1999 onwards. From 1999 he has also overseen the Red Bull driver development programme, which has steered drivers such as Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz Jr., Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen into Formula One. Since 2005 he has been an advisor to the Formula One teams owned by Red Bull GmbH (Red Bull Racing (2005-present), Scuderia Toro Rosso (2006-2019), Scuderia AlphaTauri (2020-2023) and RB Formula One Team (2024)). ^{[citation needed]}

Racing record[edit]

24 Hours of Le Mans results[edit]

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1970	Martini International Racing Team	Rudi Lins	Porsche 908/2LH	P 3.0	335	3rd	1st
1971	Martini International Racing Team	Gijs van Lennep	Porsche 917K	S 5.0	397	1st	1st
1972	Autodelta SpA	Vic Elford	Alfa Romeo Tipo 33TT3	S 3.0	232	DNF	DNF
Source:[10]

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Complete European Formula Two Championship results[edit]

(key)

Complete Formula One World Championship results[edit]

(key)

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Profile at grandprix.com