Revving up talent:Marko's tough love in driver development
F1 champion Hill backs Marko's tough Red Bull junior program as VCARB driver Lawson reveals 6am pressure calls and high-stakes development.
The notoriously demanding nature of Red Bull's junior driver program has received unexpected support from 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill.
Following VCARB driver Liam Lawson's revelations about Helmut Marko's uncompromising management style.
Dawn raids and direct feedback
Lawson, who steps into the VCARB seat for the final six races of the 2024 season, has lifted the lid on Marko's distinctive approach to driver development.
The young Kiwi described receiving 6am phone calls from the Austrian motorsport advisor, particularly after disappointing race performances.
"You need to perform better. Next weekend, if you don't perform better, you're in trouble,"
Lawson recalled of these early morning conversations.
Building mental resilience
Despite the intense pressure, Lawson credits this demanding environment for preparing him for Formula 1's challenges.
"It's very cutthroat. But, honestly, dealing with that, I'm so thankful to have gone through that with Helmut,"
the VCARB driver explained.
"Without having that kind of pressure from a young age, I don't think stepping in this late the season, I don't think I would have been able to deal with it."
Champion's perspective
Hill, drawing from his own experience with Williams' equally demanding management, strongly supports Marko's approach.
"There's a lot of placating and giving people a soft landing, sometimes, from bad results. That's not the real world,"
Hill emphasized.
"You have to be alerted – if you're not on the right track, you have to be alerted to that."
The carrot and stick balance
The Red Bull operation's success appears to stem from a carefully crafted dynamic between Marko's strict oversight and Team Principal Christian Horner's more nurturing approach.
Hill reflected on this balance through his own family experience:
"My dad was very tough. He always said he was very, very hard on himself, and he was hard on others as well. Because I think this is the nature of the business."
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