Helmut Marko Forced to Terminate Contract After 'Going Behind Red Bull's Back'

Helmut Marko was reportedly forced to terminate a contract after going behind Red Bull's back.

Marko, 82, is one of the most influential figures in the Formula 1 paddock, having served as Red Bull's motorsport advisor for 20 years.

In recent years, the Austrian has built up a strong relationship with Max Verstappen, who branded Marko as his 'second father'.

He has also played a key role in Red Bull's junior programme, handing opportunities to the likes of Alex Albon, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson.

However, it recently emerged that Marko decided to sign a driver to the Red Bull junior programme against the team's wishes.

According to Dutch news outlet De Limburger, Marko signed Alex Dunne even though he 'knew the shareholders, team boss Laurent Mekies and Oliver Mintzlaff had already decided that Dunne would not be an option for the training program'.

It was stated that Marko went ahead with the deal anyway.

Afterwards, the report claimed that Red Bull were 'furious' with Marko's decision and he was 'instructed to terminate the contract with immediate effect'.

In addition, it is believed that Dunne was 'transferred a royal amount' and Red Bull had to 'pay a large amount of money to get under the contract'.

SPORTbible has contacted Red Bull Racing for comment.

Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen. Image: Getty

Following last weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it was reported that Marko will leave Red Bull after 20 years.

According to Sky Sports, Marko will leave the company at the end of the year.

Speaking after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies said: "Helmut has been incredible in how supportive he has been into helping us turning around things this year. Obviously, him and top management had quite a few difficult decisions to make in the year, and of course, we always know F1 is not a static environment. You always adjust your organisations.

"It applies to technical, it applies to sporting, and it's completely normal that we review how we can improve the way we operate all the time. I'm not saying that specifically for Helmut, but I'm saying that in general, we are in an environment where we always challenge each other and look for the next steps, no matter how small it is in trying to work together."