Several F1 drivers at centre of strong Helmut Marko accusation over blocking seats

Helmut Marko has long been responsible for channeling new talent into the ranks of Formula 1, and he hasn’t held back in his latest Speedweek column accusing certain Formula 1 drivers of “blocking” the way for new talent.

In the editorial, Marko points to young Oliver Bearman as an example of what could happen if a seat becomes available… but in Marko’s view, there are a lot of folks taking up seats who simply don’t deserve to be there.

Helmut Marko: Some F1 drivers “are stagnating”

The bulk of Marko’s article focuses on his perspectives of Red Bull’s successes in Silverstone, while also outlining the prep work required for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.

But near the end of the column, in a section discussing the performance of various Red Bull juniors throughout the weekend, Marko got right to the point.

“Next year, Oliver Bearman will be a driver moving up to Formula 1 who was in the right place at the right time,” he wrote for Speedweek (translated from German to English) .

“His race in the Ferrari showed him his GP future. If you take his Formula 2 results into account, things would look a lot worse for him.

“But it’s good that young people are coming to Formula 1, I’m absolutely in favor of that.”

That’s when Marko turned the finger at the current F1 grid — and the drivers that he feels are blocking seats and taking opportunities away from young drivers.

“I can’t name any names, but there are drivers in the field who are stagnating and are better or worse depending on the mood,” Marko added.

“They are blocking the way for the young drivers.”

More on Helmut Marko:

👉 Helmut Marko: The Red Bull motorsport boss with a fearsome reputation

👉 Red Bull junior team: The 12 drivers looking to rise through the ranks to F1

Marko also made another point: He believes current F1 teams don’t want to take any risks.

“The teams are also afraid of juniors,” he wrote.

“Of course they make mistakes, but I’d rather someone makes mistakes and has hope for the future than there being no further improvement.”

While Marko may not explicitly mention any names, many F1 fans could likely point a finger at a few drivers who they may feel have outstayed their welcome.

After all, 2024 was the first time in Formula 1’s 74-year history that the season started without any driver changes. Every single full-time F1 driver at the end of 2023 was re-signed for 2024 with the same teams.

The reverse side of that coin is the fact that it meant 2025’s silly season kicked off before any cars actually hit the track in 2024 — but the only rookie currently planning to debut in 2025 is Oliver Bearman. The rest of the confirmed drivers in the field all have prior full-season F1 experience.

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