fbpx

Helmut Marko’s passion for racing

11. Jul 2023 
by Ziv Knoll
2402 views

Helmut Marko, born 27 April 1943 in Graz, Austria, is the current special advisor to the Red Bull Formula One team, and the feared head of Red Bull’s driver development program. But long before that, he was an excellent professional racing driver. I was lucky to meet him a couple of times, and I can assure you, he’s a nice, although not so easy to approach, and straightforward person, with a huge passion for racing, that is intact to this day.

Picture above: Dr. Helmut Marko (he completed a doctorate in law in 1967), here in his Porsche 908-03, at the 1000 km Nürburgring in 1971, where, together with Gijs van Lennep, he finished third.

Marko competed in 10 Formula One Grand Prix in 1971 and 1972, was competitive in a BRM, but scored no championship points. He had more success in endurance racing, winning, amongst others, the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a Martini Porsche 917K with Gijs van Lennep. They set a distance record of 5,335.3 km at the unbelievable average speed of 222.304 km/h!

Unfortunately, at the 1972 French Grand Prix at Charade Clermont-Ferrand, a stone thrown up by Ronnie Peterson’s March pierced Marko’s helmet visor, permanently blinding his left eye and ending his racing career.

 

Source: Arno Michels

Leave a comment