Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko Reveals Brake Issues for Max Verstappen at US Grand Prix
Helmut Marko, the Motorsport Advisor for Red Bull Racing, has disclosed that Max Verstappen encountered rapid deterioration of his brakes during the United States Grand Prix.
Despite starting from sixth on the grid at the Circuit of the Americas, the Dutch driver managed to secure his 15th win of the season and the 50th of his Formula One career.
This achievement came after a gruelling, race-long strategic battle against Lando Norris of McLaren and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
Midway through the race, Verstappen reported a series of brake problems in a rather emphatic radio message to his Race Engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. As these issues persisted, Hamilton steadily closed the gap, making for an intense finale to the race.
“We had changed the brake pads and somehow they deteriorated rapidly during the race,” said Marko to Sky Germany.
“That didn’t give him the right feeling. Sometimes he braked predominantly with the front of the car, sometimes predominantly with the rear.
He added: “It made it very difficult for him to drive at the limit, but he worked around those problems masterfully.”
Max Verstappen’s dominance often allowed him to effortlessly carve his way through the field from various starting positions. However, his victory at the Circuit of the Americas displayed a different approach, characterized by patience and strategic finesse.
Helmut Marko has described the Red Bull driver’s recent victory as the most difficult of the year and their strategy before the race.
The 80-year-old stated: “We told him to grab one [position] at the start and then take them one by one.
“From that perspective, we succeeded, but it was certainly the most difficult race of the year.”
