Why Red Bull chose Sergio Perez over Nico Hulkenberg: "Would also have been top positions"

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Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has revealed that the Milton Keynes outfit was veryclose to signing Nico Hulkenberg.

The Austrian team opted for Sergio Perez instead of Hulkenberg. The Mexican driver secured a contract with Red Bull after clinching his first grand prix victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit. Perez raced alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull from 2021 until the end of 2024 when he was replaced by rookie driver Liam Lawson.

"At that time he [Hulkenberg] was, I think, a co-commentator at Servus TV, so there was already a relationship there, and there were the beginnings of talks, but then Perez won that race in Bahrain, I think, and because of that everything turned in Perez's direction," Marko told F1-Insider.

He added: "I think it would have been a really nice time, because the two get along very well, and yes, Hulkenberg is a safe bank for points, and in our car it would also have been top positions."

Marko has served as an adviser for Red Bull since it joined the championship in 2005, and, as part of this, he has been at the helm of the Red Bull driver development programme and has been instrumental in the progression of drivers including Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, and Pierre Gasly.

"Actually, I stand by the decisions, and one has to bear in mind that over 95% of the drivers who did not remain in our cadre then go on to race in Formula E, race in WEC, race in DTM or elsewhere," Marko explained when asked if he regrets any of his decisions.

"They earn good money - far more than they probably could in a civilian profession - and then they do what they love, namely compete in motorsport. And that was mainly made possible through our involvement. And Formula 1 is the pinnacle, and it requires not only talent but also special characteristics and a certain strength, both mentally and in overall constitution."