Le Mans in Milton Keynes ... The former winner has become the cornerstone of Red Bull Racing.

The former winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has become a cornerstone of Red Bull Racing. He is at the centre of a controversy in the present case between the two drivers of the team, some observers suspect favouring Sebastian Vettel.

Helmut Marko is a survivor of a particularly deadly era of racing. He survived his childhood neighbour and friend Jochen Rindt who as a young man he raced on the streets Graz (Austria) driving road cars. In 1972, two years after the death of his friend at Monza, "Dr. Marko" had his budding career ended after a flying stone thrown up by another car blinded him in one eye during the Grand Prix of France at the Charade circuit in the Auvergne.

A year before his accident, the Austrian had his greatest success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Gijs van Lennep. In a Porsche 917, the duo set a new distance record that remained unsurpassed for nearly three decades (5335 km at an average speed of 222 km/h).

Although forced to hang up his helmet, Helmut Marko has never left racing, and after managing top drivers such as Austrians Gerhard Berger and Karl Wendlinger, he became the Director of Red Bull Motorsport. It is for this reason that collaborates with Mark Webber (driver) and Adrian Newey (technical director) who have both participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998 and 2007 respectively.

Where does your nickname "Doctor" come from?
Helmut Marko: "Drivers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1 who also have doctorates of law are not legion. The media like the unusual, so they stressed the presence of "Doctor" Marko in the peloton. This title has remained and is linked with my name.”

What might your life have been like if a stone had not ended your career in 1972?
"I do not usually feel sorry for my lost eye. It happened, that's all. Some drivers are successful on the track but fail in their life, once they turned the page on competition. For me, the situation was clear: a new life began. Life goes on, whatever happens. Moreover, it could be a good motto for our team. "

Julien HERGAULT / ACO