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F1 Red Bull’s Helmut Marko steps down after 20 years of his work with top racing team

Over his time with the team, he had a big influence on the lineups for both the main team and its farm club, which raced this year as the Racing Bulls team

VIENNA, December 9. /TASS/. Helmut Marko, the chief advisor of the Austrian-based Formula 1 team Red Bull, has officially stepped down from his post, the team’s press office announced in a statement on Tuesday.

"I have been involved in motorsport for six decades now and the past 20-plus years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey," the statement quoted Marko as saying. "It has been a wonderful time that I have been able to help shape and share with so many talented people. Everything we have built and achieved together fills me with pride."

"Narrowly missing out on the world championship this season has moved me deeply," Marko continued. "It made it clear to me that now is the right moment for me personally to end this very long, intense and successful chapter."

"I wish the entire team continued success and I'm convinced that they will be fighting for both world championship titles again next year," he added.

Marko, 82, joined Red Bull in 2005, and for two decades he led the team’s Young Drivers Academy program, also helming the Red Bull helping program. Over his time with the team, he had a big influence on the lineups for both the main team and its farm club, which raced this year as the Racing Bulls team.

In July this year perennial Formula 1 power Red Bull also parted ways with CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner.

Under the reign of Marko and Horner, Red Bull won six Constructors Championships, with its drivers claiming eight Drivers Championship titles.

Team Red Bull finished this season in 3rd place of the Constructors Championship and four-time World Champion Max Verstappen fell only two points short of McLaren pilot Lando Norris from Great Britain to win the Drivers Championship title.

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