Helmut Marko will not be directly replaced as the head of the Red Bull young driver programme. Instead, Guillaume 'Rocky' Rocquelin, who was the head of the driver academy, will take on the role with 100 per cent authority, having previously shared those duties with the Austrian advisor.

Marko has been a pivotal figure in developing the Red Bull team since its inception, but perhaps his most significant contribution to the organisation has come through the junior team. The 82-year-old was responsible for bringing the likes of Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo through the team's ranks, managing the youth stable.

However, following the announcement of his retirement after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a hole was left in the organisation. According to a GPblog report, families and managers of junior team members were left uncertain about who to contact as they worked out plans for the 2026 season.

Now, though, the picture is clearer. Rocquelin, who formerly served as Sebastian Vettel's race engineer, will reportedly take over Marko's responsibilities as the sole head of the junior set-up at Milton Keynes.

This news ends speculation that Vettel could return to the F1 paddock in a full-time capacity as Marko's successor. The Austrian suggested as much earlier this season when quizzed about his long-term future, but the four-time world champion has kept his cards close to his chest when asked about his desire for the move.

"Well, I probably would say I'm not the typical desk guy," he told F1's Beyond the Grid podcast before Marko's exit was confirmed. "Not yet! I would say it very much depends on the role. Now, this is the sport that I know.

"This is the business that I know, and I think I'm really fascinated, and have always been - and got more fascinated towards the end - of the human element, the psychology behind how a team works, what you need to succeed, how to look after each other.

"Now, I know that obviously inside out from a driver's point of view, but I think very much, you can transfer to teams in general, and then also to life. And I find that just very interesting and fascinating. So it depends, really, on the challenge that might arise, or the opportunity.

"I'm not going from team to team, or actually doing anything to say, 'Look, do you have something for me? And this is what I could imagine.' I think time will tell if the right thing sort of happens to come up. I'm not ruling it out at all. It could be very interesting. But in that regard, I'm not in a rush."