Will Marko join Verstappen on departure? 'Can well imagine'
- Cas van de Kleut
One thing has become clear this season: Max Verstappen is very loyal to Helmut Marko. After earlier rumours that the Austrian would be put out on the street by Red Bull, the Dutchman immediately stated that he would leave then too. Ralf Schumacher thinks that if Verstappen were to leave for Mercedes after all, there is a chance Marko would go with him, he told Formel1.de.
Just over a month ago, there were rumours that negotiations between Verstappen and Mercedes had begun. Marko would then also join them. At the moment, a switch from Verstappen to Mercedes for 2025 is off the table. The Dutchman has decided to stay at Red Bull and so it seems that Marko is also staying.
Marko with Verstappen on leaving Red Bull?
Schumacher previously said he thinks Verstappen is still considering a switch to Mercedes. The German therefore thinks Marko would then go with him: "Well, I’ll say it that way in RedBull, the positions changed quite a bit, also Helmut Marko changed, therefore why not. He has a strong bond to Max, both reached everything togheter, Max has also gotten the chance from Dr. (Helmut Marko) back then, and he gives a lot back, therefore I can really imagine that."
Schumacher continued: "Helmut and Toto [Wolff] seem to get along better now, I dont know why, but that’s good though, a little respect should be there, sometimes you can fight but then you have to kind of get along again, that I find good. Regarding Toto, his reaction towards Mintzlaff was quite sharp I found, doesnt suit him I think, I was surprised."
This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.