Helmut Marko, the former motorsport advisor for Red Bull, has revealed that he is already monitoring a young driver who could eventually replace Max Verstappen when the Dutch racing star steps away from Formula 1. Verstappen, a four-time world champion with Red Bull, has been a dominant force in motorsport, and Marko, who discovered Verstappen early in his career, believes a successor could be emerging.
Although Marko retired from his advisory position at the end of 2025, his talent-spotting instincts remain sharp. Recently, in a Viaplay documentary focusing on the young Dutch racer Rocco Coronel, Marko praised Coronel’s potential to become Verstappen’s successor, despite no longer having influence over Red Bull’s junior program.
Emergence of Rocco Coronel as a Future F1 Contender
Rocco Coronel, aged 15, is the son of touring car and Dakar competitor Tom Coronel, and is rapidly gaining attention in Dutch motorsport circles. In 2024, Coronel earned a place in the Red Bull Junior Team after passing a rigorous three-day assessment at the Jerez circuit in Spain, supervised by Marko himself.
At just 13, Coronel became the youngest Dutch driver ever selected for this program. After testing in a Formula 4 car, Marko was sufficiently impressed to move him up to a GP3 vehicle, highlighting his exceptional performance during this process.
For his age, Rocco performed extraordinarily,
Marko commented.
He added,
“A GP3 car like that is already quite a fast car, but he did very well.”
Marko expressed confidence in Coronel’s maturity and self-assurance, further stating,
“He is already very mature and exudes confidence. He explained how he combines racing with school and together we soon knew a route for him.”
The Road Ahead for Coronel and Red Bull’s Future
In 2026, Coronel is set to compete full-time in the Spanish Formula 4 series as the next step in his career. Since September 2024, Marko has been mentoring the young driver, frequently sending congratulatory messages—an unusual gesture, as Coronel explained,
“That’s very positive, because my understanding is that he normally doesn’t append anyone so quickly.”
Despite Marko’s endorsement, Coronel faces a long and challenging path through the feeder series before he can realistically contend for a position in Red Bull’s premier Formula 1 team. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s recent critical remarks regarding the 2026 F1 cars suggest that Red Bull may need to prepare for a transition sooner than anticipated, as the world champion has expressed an increasing interest in retirement.
With Verstappen’s tenure potentially nearing its end, the development of talents like Coronel is vital for Red Bull’s continued success on the global motorsport stage.
