Helmut Marko Gives Stern ‘No Rash’ Warning to Max Verstappen After Spanish GP Fiasco

Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko gave Max Verstappen an ultimatum after his fallout with George Russell at the Spanish GP.

Helmut Marko Gives Stern ‘No Rash’ Warning to Max Verstappen After Spanish GP Fiasco

Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Getty)

Max Verstappen is in a tough spot following the Spanish GP. The four-time world champion faced immense scrutiny for his controversial move on George Russell in Barcelona. The Dutchman lost some crucial points due to the collision. Now, Red Bull Motorsport Consultant Dr. Helmut Marko has given an ultimatum to Verstappen for the rest of the season.

During the race, the Red Bull star was in a difficult position following a late Safety Car. Max Verstappen was on a set of hard tires while his rivals were on softs, this put the 27-year-old in a major disadvantage when it came to grip. This was evident as Verstappen went off-track while battling George Russell. When the four-time world champion was asked to return the position, he ended up colliding with the Mercedes.

Pundits have had divided opinions over the situation. Some, such as Nico Rosberg believe that the crash was deliberate and Verstappen should’ve been disqualified. While, David Croft believes that the Red Bull quite cleverly got his way. Though, Max Verstappen has refuted all claims of intentionally colliding with Russell.

No matter the reason for the collision, Verstappen lost out on points after facing a ten-second time penalty. This can be critical for the Dutchman in the championship battle. Thus, Helmut Marko has made it clear that the 27-year-old must remain within his limits in the next couple of races. Moreover, the 81-year-old declared that Verstappen could no longer make any rash decisions. The Austrian cited the risk of a race penalty that now looms on the Red Bull star.

Now he mustn’t do anything wrong over the next two race weekends, and of course he will be told not to do anything rash. It would be a disaster if he couldn’t start in Austria.

Helmut Marko wrote on Speedweek

Helmut Marko pinpoints ‘bitter pills to swallow’ for Max Verstappen in Barcelona

The Spanish GP was nothing short of a disaster for Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver seemed to be losing at every aspect following the Safety Car. So much so, that former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner believed that Verstappen had just lost his mind. However, there was not just one instance behind the Dutchman’s frustration.

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)
Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

Helmut Marko recognized the issue of the hard tires. Moreover, the Red Bull star almost lost control of the car at the race start before losing his position to Charles Leclerc. This created a tense environment for the reigning world champion with the battle against Russell being the final nail in the coffin.

The 81-year-old highlighted that Max Verstappen is a driver who knows the regulations completely. Thus, Verstappen was even more angry when Red Bull instructed him to give the place back. This added to the several hard pills to swallow for the Dutchman, which ultimately ended up in a nightmare of a race.

There was an incident with Russell. And Max, who knows the regulations inside out, said that he didn’t have to give the place back. But he was told that he had to give the position back. That was a lot of bitter pills for him to swallow. On top of that, Russell is not exactly his best friend.

Helmut Marko added

Certainly, Red Bull recognizes the reasons behind Max Verstappen’s fallout in Spain. The four-time world champion was too frustrated by the end of the race. This ended up costing him heavily following the time penalty. Now, Verstappen must move past this race and get back on-track to avoid any risk of facing a race ban.

Read More: “He Should Know Better,” Ex-F1 Team Owner Lambasts Max Verstappen for Ruining Everything at Spanish GP