The aim for Red Bull is to make Verstappen the 2021 champion

The Red Bull Racing team have a few headaches for the coming year. It is still not clear who will drive alongside Max Verstappen and a new engine supplier has to be found. According to Helmut Marko the plan remains to make the Dutchman World Champion next year.

For a moment yesterday it looked like Alexander Albon would qualify for the Portuguese Grand Prix right behind his team mate. However, before the session was decided Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez went a little faster and Albon will start today's race from P6. What's more, there is half a second between the time of the Thai and Verstappen.

This doesn't help Red Bull Racing's plans. Despite the fact that Verstappen can no longer become the youngest world champion ever in Formula 1, Helmut Marko still has a clear goal in mind. "In 2020 we won't succeed, but in 2021 we want to finally attack Mercedes and make Max the world champion, even if he can't be the youngest champion," the team's advisor said to Auto Bild Motorsport.

To become a champion in the sport you need a strong teammate, who can provide cover at pit stops and take points off the competition when you're having a bad day. "We also ask Max for his opinion on the driver's question. And we know that opinion as well. But whether a driver can speak Dutch is not decisive, because the team language is English," the Austrian concluded

It is no secret that Max Verstappen is also a fan of Nico Hulkenberg. Earlier this week he already let us know what he thinks about the German as a team mate. "Nico is a great guy. What he did at the Nürburgring was great. I think he would be a good teammate, but it's not my decision," the Dutchman told the German RTL.