Dr. Helmut Marko, an advisor at Red Bull, believes that Max Verstappen’s current partnership with Red Bull is unbeatable and would not be replicated elsewhere. He emphasizes the importance of having the best car, affirming Verstappen’s likelihood to race for the team with the superior vehicle.
Marko suggests that if Verstappen were to race for Ferrari, the dynamics of Formula 1 would alter significantly compared to his current dominance with Red Bull. He views the pairing of Verstappen and Red Bull as an unbeatable combination, evident in Verstappen’s recent F1 drivers’ titles.
Verstappen’s success continues into the 2024 season, with three victories in the opening four rounds and a perfect record in qualifying. Red Bull’s momentum is further boosted by Sergio Perez’s resurgence, with three second-place finishes contributing to their one-two victories.
When questioned about Perez’s improved performance, Marko redirects the focus to Verstappen, indicating his role as the driving force behind Red Bull’s success. This highlights Verstappen’s relentless pursuit of performance optimization on the track.
“That’s true, but Max [Verstappen] always goes for the fastest setup,” he stated prior to the Chinese Grand Prix.
“Of course, this isn’t always easy to drive. When a car is fast, it is restless and toxic. This is where driving skills come into play. That’s why Max is always the fastest in the qualifying sessions.”
Despite strong on-track results, Red Bull has commenced the season amidst controversy, with team principal Christian Horner implicated in sexual harassment allegations.
While the case against him was dismissed, internal discord has surfaced, and star driver Verstappen has been rumored to consider a move to Mercedes, previously deemed unthinkable.
Nonetheless, Marko expresses confidence that as long as the team maintains its position of delivering the fastest car, Verstappen will remain.
“He always wants to be in the fastest car, and Max in the Red Bull, that’s an unbeatable combination,” the Austrian clarified.
“But if you put Max in a Ferrari, things would look different. The 20 seconds that he is ahead of Checo [Perez] correspond to his driving superiority. Max will drive where he has the best car and he has that at Red Bull. Nothing else is on the horizon.”
