Helmut Marko remains unfazed by the forecasted rain at Spa-Francorchamps, confident that it will only strengthen Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s dominance in Formula 1.
Verstappen’s recent victory in Hungary marked his seventh consecutive win, equalling a remarkable record, while Red Bull achieved a milestone with its 12th consecutive victory.
When asked about the possibility of inclement weather in Belgium, Marko assured Osterreich newspaper, “Rain only strengthens the Verstappen dominance. Driving skills are then even more in demand on a difficult circuit.”
However, Marko acknowledged that Red Bull’s rivals are closing the gap, evident from Verstappen’s failure to secure pole position in Hungary.
“Well, if the car isn’t in the best position, like in Budapest qualifying, we feel that the others are getting closer,” Marko admitted.
Despite the close competition, Verstappen’s race performance was unparalleled as he clinched a resounding victory with a remarkable 33-second lead.
“That’s true, we’re way ahead in race trim,” Marko affirmed. “Max actually could have driven even faster. He wasn’t at the limit by a long shot.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez faced challenges in his identical car but showed improvement in Hungary, making progress from ninth on the grid to secure a third-place finish.
“He’s already a lot better, fighting his way up from ninth on the grid to third in the race,” Marko commented, referring to Perez’s performance.
Regarding Perez’s practice crash in Hungary, which exposed the car’s underbelly to photographers, Marko played down the incident.
“What do you want me to say about that?” Marko responded. “Luckily there was less to see this time in contrast to Monte Carlo. The underbody construction is very complicated,” he added.
