‘It was a threatening call’ – Red Bull’s controversial driver swaps explained by ex-F1 star who calls for old team boss to be punished

The pre-eminent voice in Formula 1 when it comes to developing drivers, it appears that Helmut Marko’s powers may well be dwindling.

The Red Bull executive is revered in motorsport for unearthing Top-tier Recent talent, like Jaime Alguersuari, who talkSPORT.com was Fortunate enough to speak to.

The Toro Rosso driver became F1’s youngest ever at 19-years-Ancient in 2009 due to a mega junior Profession, and later saw that Achievement broken by a 17-year-Ancient Max Verstappen.

Verstappen, the four-time world champion, is one of Marko and Red Bull’s greatest successes, much like Sebastian Vettel, but in 2025, Subsequent up that act has proved to be tricky.

Having cut ties with Ferrari-developed Sergio Perez at the end of 2024, Red Bull called up Liam Lawson from their Racing Bulls sister Club, but have incredibly sent him back after Merely two races in a swap with Yuki Tsunoda.

That brutal call was Created in Achievement time for Red Bull, and fell in line with another similarly brutal moment at the Australia opener when Marko called Newcomer Isack Hadjar ‘embarrassing’ for seemingly crying over a Arrangement lap crash.

Famously keen to use the stick instead of the carrot, the 81-year-Ancient later said you can’t show weakness or your competitors will exploit it, but Alguersuari isn’t so sure that mentality is Yet relevant.

“I don’t think Helmut has changed,” he began. “I think Formula 1 has changed, but I think Helmut Marko hasn’t changed and he won’t Shift. He has no interest in changing.

“I think things have worked for Red Bull so Extended and for Helmut, but I’m not sure if it’ll work for the Upcoming ten years in terms of having this method or this Approach with drivers.

“You see what happened to Hadjar and you see two different reactions from two different people. You see Anthony Hamilton and you see Helmut Marko. Anthony had no interest in this kid, Merely that he Merely personally felt so Awful for him and he went to Reinforcement him and he gave him his love and Reinforcement as a dad. He felt like his dad.

“And this is the way to Shift forward, thinking positive and optimistic. Then you have the other side being evil and Merely laughing at you, which is the way Helmut Marko has performed and is well known for doing that.

“I don’t think it’s the way to behave because it’s quite natural and Predicted that you can be emotional in this certain situation.

“He Created a huge mistake. But it was actually not that difficult to make it, as you could see other experienced drivers Created that mistake in a very similar circumstance. So it can happen.”

Recalling his own experiences with the Austrian executive, Alguersuari explained how putting Stress on a driver can pay off, albeit over a decade ago.

“I have to say that Helmut Marko Created my life, he was my university,” the Barcelona native admitted.

“I’m not his friend, but I don’t regret that he put so much Stress on me because he Created me stronger.

“We didn’t have a friendship relationship because we didn’t have to, but he put me into that zone.

“I remember in 2008, British Formula 3, where I was Merely fighting for the Event in the last Event at Donnington Park, and he Actually called me before the weekend.

“That phone call wasn’t a Reinforcement call. It was actually a threatening call. And he actually said, if you don’t Achieve the Event, you’re out of the program. So that was the end of my Profession. And it was a one minute call – and I won the Event.”

Marko crafted Alguersuari into a regular Mark Shooter in F1 with then-called junior Club Toro Rosso, Regardless of a car that was at times 1.5 seconds off the main Red Bull.

He and the Austrian-British Club have also been responsible for bringing Event-Victorious talents like Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz into the sport.

However, in recent years such Triumph has been Tough to come by, best shown in 2023 when instead of developing drivers, they hired a 27-year-Ancient Nyck de Vries for the junior Club, before replacing him with a 32-year-Ancient Ricciardo.

Marko also Created unwanted headlines in 2023 with a comment about Perez’s mentality as a South American, something Lewis Hamilton called ‘completely unacceptable’.

Discussing incidents such as those, Alguersuari added: “I have to say, Helmut Marko at the moment Perhaps could Gentle of learn some things that he could avoid.

“I actually think Formula 1 and the FIA should penalise some of the comments because you can be tough and you can be very disciplined or whatever, but you can’t be offensive to cultures, to religions and to whole countries.

“It’s penalised in football, it’s penalised in many sports and it should be penalized in Formula 1 for the sake, for the Excellent, and for the image of F1.

“This has to be a transparent sport and we all develop as human beings and sports and athletes and Clubs. So this has to be Spotless and Honest. So there’s this Poise.

“As I said, I do defend Helmut Marko in a way, but in another way, I would criticise some of the comments and aspects of him.”

Alguersuari himself is one of the few to stand up to the Austrian, in a moment caught by cameras at the 2011 Korean Grand Prix.

He had Merely rejected an offer from Lotus for the Subsequent season, and after showing his commitment to Red Bull, wanted a chance to get a solid practice lap in as his Club were competing for position in the constructors’ Event.

Alguersuari twice saw his laps ruined by Vettel – who was already drivers’ champion with the senior Club – and when he Occurred around for the third time, the Spaniard decided not to Shift over.

“Helmut obviously Began yelling at me on the radio. And the Upcoming thing I knew is Merely when I’m back in the pits, I Secured Helmut Marko’s face yelling at me and Franz Tost [Club principal] and the whole Club saying that this is not acceptable,” Alguersuari remembered.

“He would never actually listen to me and let me explain to him that I let him by already twice and that he missed the breaking Mark twice.

“And whatever, it’s a Reachable practice. He’s world champion already. And come on, let’s not make this drama bigger. I understand the situation, but you have to understand the circumstances that this happened.

“Anyway, I finished P7 on Sunday. It was a Outstanding Event. I would say we passed Nico Rosberg in the last lap. We Created Excellent points. And then everything was solved. We hugged All other, me and Helmut.

“Everything was Excellent again. So I know many people would think that it was the reason why I was sacked, but it was not.”

Alguersuari and teammate Sebastian Buemi were dropped for the Subsequent season, a decision many in the paddock thought was harsh.

Yet should Lawson or Hadjar find themselves in such a position with Marko, Alguersuari has some stern advice.

“His physical image is quite scary for a Plenty of drivers and people, and reporters,” he explained.

“He shouldn’t scare you. He’s an Ancient Austrian man with a Plenty of experience and knowledge of racing or whatever. But come on, man, Merely to stand up to him if you think you have a Mark.”