Helmut Marko may no longer occupy his familiar perch inside Red Bull’s inner circle, but the outspoken Austrian is still shaping the conversation around Formula 1’s future – and his latest outlook paints a season of widening gaps, technical turbulence, and a potential Silver Arrow resurgence.
With the sport entering a bold new regulatory era, Marko believes the competitive closeness fans have grown used to may soon give way to something far more fractured.
Reflecting on how tightly packed the field became toward the end of the current regulations, Marko sees 2026 heading in the opposite direction as new power units, complex systems and active aerodynamics arrive all at once.
“Last year, the field was closer together than ever,” Marko said to ORF. “I believe that this will diverge significantly. I fear that the gaps will increase drastically.”
At the heart of his concern is the sheer technical complexity of the new era. Gone are the days when power unit failures were routine; manufacturers had refined reliability to an art form.
Now, with fresh rules and unproven technology, Marko senses a return to uncertainty.
“You have to remember that we have the combustion engine, we have the battery, then the software for the feed-in. So these are some factors together with the CO2-free fuel,” he argued.
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The worry, from Marko’s perspective, is that some manufacturers will crack the code faster than others – leading to a familiar and uncomfortable scenario.
“I hope there won’t be such differences as in 2014, where Mercedes drove up and away from everyone,” he added.
Why Mercedes Could Hold the Upper Hand
If history is any guide, Marko believes the early winners of a new engine formula often dictate the competitive order for years. And this time, his finger points firmly toward Mercedes-powered teams.
“I’m afraid it will be someone who uses the Mercedes engine,” he said. “So it could be Lando Norris again.”
Marko also hinted that the ripple effect of Mercedes’ progress could extend beyond the front-runners.
“Williams is also making quite a bit of progress, one hears,” he said. “And if George Russell wants to be at the top, he has to implement that now and compete for the World Championship.”
Notably absent from Marko’s list of likely champions is Max Verstappen, whose four-title streak ended after narrowly losing the 2025 championship by just two points.
With Red Bull embarking on a new engine partnership with Ford, the Dutchman faces a steeper learning curve than ever.
Read also: Red Bull shrugs off legality fears over new F1 power unitStill, Marko stopped short of writing off his former protégé entirely.
“That will be an immense advantage for Max, because he can drive really fast and think at the same time,” he said.
“But even a veteran like Fernando Alonso could also have his advantage. So the driver is now becoming even more important.”
In Marko’s speculative vision of Formula 1’s next chapter, raw speed alone won’t be enough.
As technology threatens to pull the grid apart, it may be the drivers who can adapt, calculate, and improvise at the limit who ultimately keep the championship fight alive – even in a season where the gaps grow larger than anyone would like.
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