Marko warns Red Bull: 'Even Verstappen can't drive like this all year'
F1 News
- Nicole Mulder
Ever since the Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has had to work a lot harder for his wins than he had done in 2023. So far, the Dutchman has won seven out of a possible 10 races this season. Despite this, Verstappen is being increasingly put under pressure right to the finish. Red Bull's advisor Helmut Marko warns his team that not even Verstappen will be able to keep up his form for a whole season.
Marko: 'Even Verstappen won't keep that up for a season'
Speaking to OE24, Marko believes that the RB20 wasn't the fastest car in the last few races. Verstappen, however, still manages to make a difference with his own talents. "Even Max cannot drive on the limit like that for a whole season," he said. "The overtaking manoeuvre that brought him to the lead was extraordinary, even for him."
When asked if Verstappen is indeed 'faster than his own car', the 81-year-old Austrian said yes. "That sums it up well. Max wins because he is so confident and not because the car is so good." Sergio Perez's performance of late doesn't help, Marko confirms: "Checo started much further back, but it's true. Now everything is so close together, you can't afford weaknesses." Perez qualified eighth but had to start from P11 due to a grid penalty. In the end, the Mexican finished in just eighth place in the Spanish Grand Prix and has scored eight points in the last four races for Red Bull.
It may not always have been friendly between Red Bull and Mercedes, but at the moment Marko would be fine with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell getting involved in the battle at the front. "If Mercedes can join in now, that will work out well for us and our calculations for the world championship." Mercedes currently sits in fourth place with 151 points. If the Brackley-based team can take some points off of Ferrari and McLaren, Red Bull might feel a little bit more comfortable at the top.