Marko baffled by 'cinematic' first meeting with Verstappen
Red Bull Content Pool
F1 News
- Nicole Mulder
Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull Junior Team, plays a crucial role in the line-ups of both Red Bull Racing and the Racing Bulls. His greatest success came with Max Verstappen, who was brought to the Red Bull team in 2016 at just 18 years old and won his first race at the Spanish Grand Prix immediately. Marko reflects on their first meeting, describing it as "something like out of a movie."
The first meeting between Verstappen and Marko took place during the Formula 3 weekend at the Norisring in 2014. Verstappen was unbeatable in varying conditions and took all the race wins. After that weekend, it was clear to many team bosses in Formula 1: Verstappen would soon have a seat in F1
Marko immediately took action. On August 12 2014, it was announced that Verstappen had joined the Red Bull Junior Team; six days later, he was confirmed as an F1 driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015.
Marko on 'cinematic' meeting with Verstappen
"It was actually a very special conversation, almost like in a movie," Marko revealed to Autosprint about his first meeting with Verstappen. "I saw that he won in a great way and approached him in my - very direct - way. I looked him in the eye and said bluntly: listen, Max, I just want to know one thing from you: are you racing like this because you were forced to by your father's strict upbringing, or do you have the intention and motivation to continue, regardless of who has driven you this far?"
The then-16-year-old Verstappen's answer left a lasting impression on Marko. "Believe it or not, the teenage Max Verstappen didn't make a sound, looked at me coldly and impassively and answered: 'No, I really enjoy racing. And it's totally my choice. My only concern is to continue as best I can and avoid the mistakes my father made," the 81-year-old Austrian said.
"To be honest, I was as surprised by that as I was by his driving skills on wet asphalt. The boy was already formidable, both with and without a helmet. He had a mature mentality in a young body. Much more mature than his age. Even now, he looks much further ahead than his age of 27. He has been a driver in our programme ever since," Marko concludes.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
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