Ex-Red Bull F1 Junior says Marko broke his promise to replace Vettel in 2014

Over the years, Red Bull has nurtured some of the best F1 talent in the sport’s modern history. While some, like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, were successful in sports, others didn’t have the opportunity to do so. One of these drivers was Jean-Éric Vergne, who drove three seasons for his sister team Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri).

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While many Toro Rosso drivers dream of joining Red Bull, Vergne has not quite reached that level. However, during a recent interaction, the Frenchman admitted that Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko thought he would replace Vettel after the 2014 season.

Red Bull Junior Jean-Éric Vergne makes an honest confession about his 2014 season

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Vergne joined Toro Rosso in 2012 as a promising candidate, with Daniel Ricciardo being his first F1 team-mate. In 2014 the Frenchman achieved excellent results for the team, where he had Daniil Kvyat as his teammate after Ricciardo’s move to Red Bull.

In the middle of the season, the Austrian team announced that Vergne would not continue after 2014 despite strong results in Formula 1. On the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Frenchman admitted that the timing of this announcement was both good and bad. He said, “It was actually nice for him to tell me about it so early in the season. At the same time it was probably the biggest problem. “

At the Japanese Grand Prix in 2014, the news of Vettel joining Ferrari became known, which then spread like wildfire. While Vergne accepted that Red Bull could not retract their word about his departure, he remembered a conversation with Marko in which they discussed the possibility of Vettel’s departure.

“During this open conversation with Helmut, I said to him: ‘What if Vettel leaves?’ He said to me: ‘Vettel won’t go.’ I said, ‘But what if Vettel leaves?’ He said, ‘Well, then you’ll be the next to go to Red Bull.’ “

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almost 2 years ago

Vergne: I wish Helmut had waited until the last race

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Finally, Kvyat was called up by Red Bull in the 2015 season, while Max Verstappen joined Toro Rosso. Although team boss Franz Tost wanted him to stay, Vergne admitted that Red Bull couldn’t hold back his word. However, he believed that his 2014 accomplishments earned him the draft more than Kvyat.

Formula 1 F1 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy – October 30th 2020 AlphaTauris Daniil Kvyat during a press conference FIA ​​/ Handout about REUTERS

“The year was pretty complicated. I wish Helmut had done the way he did for many drivers, waiting until the last race of the season to tell them it couldn’t be done anymore. Because if he had waited, at the grands prix that I did before Japan I would be in a much stronger position than Kvyat to go to Red Bull Racing. “

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After leaving Formula 1, Vergne celebrated immense success in Formula E. He won the championship twice in a row and was third in the 2019-2020 season.

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