How Helmut Marko's misjudgment led to Lewis Hamilton's dominance at Mercedes
Red Bull's advisor, Helmut Marko, regrets mentioning Lewis Hamilton's availability to Niki Lauda in 2012, leading to the Brit's shock move to Mercedes. The move proved to be pivotal as Mercedes dominated F1, but Red Bull is now the dominant force once more with Max Verstappen at the helm.
Red Bull Advisor Helmut Marko Regrets Alerting Niki Lauda About Lewis Hamilton's Availability
Red Bull Advisor Helmut Marko has opened up about his decision to inform Niki Lauda, Mercedes’ former non-executive chairman, about Lewis Hamilton's potential availability in 2012.
Speaking to Sport Bild, Marko admitted that he regrets the move as it turned out to be a "complete misjudgment".
"At the time, we thought Lewis would be less of a threat to us at Mercedes than at McLaren, for whom he was driving at the time. In retrospect, that was a complete misjudgment, although at the time it was really not foreseeable," said Marko.
Marko's alert to Lauda led to the Mercedes team reaching out to Hamilton, who made a shock switch from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 season.
However, Red Bull still managed to clinch their fourth consecutive title double that year, with Sebastian Vettel winning 13 of the 19 races to secure his fourth and final Drivers' crown.
The Rise of Mercedes
Mercedes' fortunes changed dramatically in 2014 with the introduction of turbo hybrid power units.
The team quickly rose to the summit of Formula 1 and went on to win eight Constructors' titles in a row from 2014-2021, with Hamilton collecting six Drivers' titles during that period.
Marko now believes that his decision to inform Lauda about Hamilton's availability was a big mistake, as Hamilton's move to Mercedes ended up being very damaging for Red Bull.
Red Bull's Dominance in 2022
History has repeated itself with Red Bull currently the dominant force in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen denied Hamilton his record eighth World title on the last lap of the season in 2021, and following a regulatory reset for 2022, Mercedes are yet to return to a level where they could become a serious title threat to Red Bull.
Verstappen set a new record for the most wins in a single season with 15, while Red Bull started F1 2023 with a trio of race wins and pole positions, two going Verstappen's way in each category.
Looking Ahead
Hamilton's Mercedes deal is up at the end of the season, though he is expected to sign fresh terms and continue in the team's recovery effort.
Red Bull will be looking to continue their dominance in the sport and secure their third consecutive title double in 2023.
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