Mintzlaff added: “Over more than 20 years, Helmut has earned incomparable merits for our team and the entire Red Bull motorsport family. He played a decisive role in all key strategic decisions that made Red Bull Racing what it is today: a multiple world champion, an engine of innovation, and a cornerstone of international motorsport.

“His instinct for exceptional talent not only shaped our junior programme but also left a lasting impact on Formula 1 as a whole.

“Names like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen stand for the many drivers who were discovered, supported, and guided to the very top under his leadership.

“His passion, his courage to make clear decisions, and his ability to spot potential will remain unforgettable.”

Verstappen has spoken to Marko and, although he is emotional about the move, has accepted it is time for his ally to move on, according to insiders.

At the beginning of 2024, Verstappen was instrumental in ensuring Marko kept his role in the team in the midst of a power struggle with former team principal Christian Horner.

Marko’s decision is said to have been influenced by the fact he realised he no longer had the control he once had, following the changes that have been made in the wake of Horner’s sacking in July.

One flashpoint late in 2025, according to sources close to Red Bull, has been that Marko signed Irish racing driver Alex Dunne to the Red Bull programme against the wishes of Mintzlaff and team principal Laurent Mekies.

Dunne has had to be paid off and is currently looking for another way into F1 after his ties with McLaren were severed earlier this year.

Marko was also at the centre of a number of controversies.

These included blaming former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s inconsistent form in 2023 on his ethnicity, remarks for which he later apologised.