Helmut Marko, the advisor of the Red Bull team, has expressed his opinion that there are merely two drivers on the Formula 1 grid who could come as close to Max Verstappen as Sergio Perez has done while being his teammate.
During the recent Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen showcased his remarkable prowess once again, securing his eighth consecutive victory and achieving a total of 10 wins out of 12 races in the 2023 season.
As a result of this dominant performance, Verstappen now holds a substantial 125-point lead over his teammate Perez in the drivers’ standings.
During his appearance on the most recent F1 Nation podcast, Marko was given the opportunity to evaluate Perez’s race day performance at Spa-Francorchamps, as well as the significant 22-second gap that separated the two Red Bull drivers when they crossed the finish line.
The Red Bull advisor speaking about Verstappen’s flawless racecraft remarked: “Being second behind Max is like a win.”
“There won’t be any other driver who could stay with him on one level. Maybe [Fernando] Alonso and [Lewis] Hamilton would be nearer, but nobody could beat him at the moment.”
“I know how good Max is [and] that has to be considered. He’s nursing the tyres and he’s still going fast. He can read the race and he’s so far ahead [with] what he’s doing he’s already past. It’s unbelievable capacity in his head.”
The 80-year-old, while lavishing praises on Max Verstappen commended the overall team efforts of the Red Bull camp.
“It’s so unbelievable, the performance of the whole team, pit stops, strategy, the drivers,” he said. “And we do some entertainment [with] the conversations between Max and [his engineer over the radio].”
