In a sharp rejoinder to Red Bull’s senior advisor, Helmut Marko, erstwhile Formula 1 driver and now analyst, Martin Brundle, has suggested that Marko should focus more on his own drivers. This retort came in response to Marko’s critical evaluation of the batch of rookies starting their F1 journey in 2025.
Marko made his assessments during a segment on Red Bull’s in-house channel, Servus TV. Among the newbies, Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto bore the brunt of his criticism. Marko, discussing Doohan, a former Red Bull Junior, labeled him as a ‘C’ grade driver. He further fueled the fire by casting doubt on Doohan’s potential to last the season, amid ongoing speculation about his future and the presence of Alpine’s backup driver, Franco Colapinto.
Turning his attention to Bortoleto, who had previously bagged the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in consecutive seasons, earning Sauber’s interest, Marko assigned a ‘B’ grade. Despite being a protégé of two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, he insinuated that the Brazilian speedster lacked “pure speed”.
Bortoleto, however, countered this critique by outpacing his esteemed teammate Nico Hulkenberg in his debut race. Brundle, witnessing Bortoleto’s performance, hinted at the emergence of a potential “star”. He lauded the young Brazilian’s maturity and success in F3 and F2, likening him to renowned drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who have achieved similar feats.
When reminded of Marko’s ‘B-class driver’ remark about Bortoleto, Brundle replied with a firm “exactly”, before advising Marko to concentrate more on remarks about his own drivers.
Marko did offer some commentary about his own team’s drivers during the Grand Prix Sunday in Melbourne. Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar had an unfortunate crash during the formation lap of his debut race with VCARB, Red Bull’s junior squad. The slippery Albert Park circuit, due to previous rains, contributed to the incident. A distraught Hadjar was comforted by Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony, in the paddock. Marko, however, was unimpressed by Hadjar’s emotional breakdown, labeling it as “a bit embarrassing”.
The race also witnessed mishaps involving Doohan and Bortoleto, along with Red Bull newcomer Liam Lawson, as rain wreaked havoc later on. Regardless of these developments, Brundle’s parting shot to Marko suggests that the Red Bull senior advisor’s critiques might be better served closer to home.
