Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko were incredibly close at Red Bull

Max Verstappen has disclosed that he shared a deeply moving telephone conversation with Helmut Marko following the senior advisor’s departure from Red Bull Racing.

Speaking at the team’s 2026 launch event earlier today, the four-time world champion reflected on the end of an era at Milton Keynes.

“We had a very emotional call after Abu Dhabi,” Verstappen revealed. “It will be a bit different. All good things come to an end at some point.”

Marko’s exit marks the latest high-profile departure from the outfit, following Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, and team principal Christian Horner in recent years.

Helmut Marko is a close ally of Max Verstappen’s after helping him become Red Bull’s main man | PADespite the professional parting, the Dutch driver made clear that his bond with the Austrian remains strong.

“We’ll see each other around anyway. If I’m going to Graz, we’ll have lunch together!” Verstappen said. “We have achieved so many great things together, that will always stay on our minds.”

The sentiment was echoed by his new teammate Isack Hadjar, who also benefited from Marko’s guidance during his ascent through the junior ranks.

“Having Helmut gone is a bit sad, to be honest,” the French rookie admitted. “I enjoyed having him in the paddock but he’s still around, I still give him calls.”

Verstappen was also quizzed on speculation that Red Bull and Mercedes have uncovered a loophole in the new power unit regulations, reportedly worth an additional 15 brake horsepower.

The four-time champion gave short shrift to such talk, insisting his role lies firmly behind the wheel rather than in the engineering department.

Helmut Marko was close with Max Verstappen at Red Bull

 | GETTY“I’m not there to be the engine technician will explain everything in detail to you,” he told Bloomberg.

“At the end of the day, it’s also something between the FIA and the engine manufacturers to sort out.

“I drive the car, and I trust that from our side, we always try to do our very best to get the most performance out of the engine.”

The governing body has scheduled a meeting with power unit manufacturers for Wednesday to address the matter ahead of the campaign’s commencement.

Max Verstappen has high hopes of winning back his F1 title

| REUTERS

Verstappen acknowledged uncertainty about whether his team holds any advantage entering the new regulatory era.

“It’s impossible to know,” he stated.

“Everyone is just trying everything they can and from our side, especially from my side, I have to focus on the driving.”

The new machinery will undergo private testing next week before the paddock reconvenes in Bahrain for two three-day sessions.

Regarding whether the revised regulations will improve racing, Verstappen remained cautious: “It’s a bit too soon to be able to say that.”