Helmut Marko, one of Red Bull’s head honchos – and an accomplished F1 driver in his own right – is celebrating his 67th birthday today.
A close teenage friend of Jochen Rindt, Marko earned a law degree before concentrating in earnest on his own motorsport ambitions. He quickly developed a reputation as a great sports car driver, and was snaffled up by BRM for Formula 1 during 1971.
![]() |
![]() |
Showing great form in the 1972 French GP at Clermont Ferrand, his helmet visor was shattered by a flint (above left) which lodged itself in his left eye. Somehow, Marko was able to bring his P160 to a halt without a massive accident, but the sight in his injured eye was ruined, and a potentially great racing career was cut tragically short.
Realising he could still contribute in a management capacity, Marko ran Renault’s competition activities in Austria, going to establish a successful Formula 3000 team to help blood young drivers. He now heads up Red Bull’s young driver programme.
[Original image via The Cahier Archive]
Richard Bailey
Latest posts by Richard Bailey (see all)
- WTCR: Guerrieri outwits Muller at the Nordschleife - 26 September, 2020
- WTCR: Girolami breaks Nordschleife lap record to claim pole - 25 September, 2020
- WTCR: Hyundai withdraws from Germany round - 24 September, 2020
- WTCR: Ehrlacher leads Lynk & Co podium sweep at Zolder - 13 September, 2020
- WTCR: Girolami kicks off 2020 season with victory - 13 September, 2020