Helmut Marko believes there are only two F1 drivers ‘halfway’ at Max Verstappen’s level
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Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko
Max Verstappen has been in a league of his own this season – he comfortably sealed the championship with 3 races to go, and has barely put a foot wrong all year. When he has, he has been able to recover enough for it to not be of any real consequence. While Charles Leclerc seemed poised to at least give him a fight, by and large, Verstappen has been the dominant force – and has run away with the title.
Some believe that he may start an era of domination – and while we may not be able to foresee the future, it wouldn’t really be a surprise if that turns out to be the case. Who will stop him? Well, according to Helmut Marko, the head of Red Bull’s driver development programme, there are only two drivers on the grid that are ‘halfway at Verstappen’s level’ – Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc.
Speaking to RTL (translated from German), Marko said: “There are only two drivers in Formula 1 who are halfway at Verstappen’s level, [Charles] Leclerc and [Lewis] Hamilton.” Elaborating further on this, he added: “Leclerc was very strong in qualifying but prone to making mistakes compared to Verstappen.”
Indeed, Leclerc will win the pole trophy this season, but he only has 3 wins. While Ferrari’s own mistakes haven’t helped him, he also made a huge unforced error in France. Marko thinks that Hamilton is likely to be more of a challenge for Verstappen in 2023: “Hamilton has a clear advantage in terms of experience, can motivate himself incredibly and I’m also convinced that Mercedes will put up a better car next year.”
Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen will become even stronger
Helmut Marko thinks that Max Verstappen has not reached his peak yet, and is likely to get even better in the future: “He drives more confidently than ever, with more overview, at the same time he has developed into a tire whisperer. For example, he rides longer on a soft tire than the competition on a harder compound.”
The Dutchman has only recently turned 25 years old and is already a two-time world champion. While his own plans are a factor, if he stays in Formula 1 he will surely have a shot at many more. Marko thinks there is ‘no limit’ for him: “He gets in the car and is so confident from the first practice session, from the first lap. You can see that when it’s wet, he’s two seconds faster than the rest of the field on the first laps, they all have to approach each other first.”
In 2023, Max Verstappen is unlikely to dominate to such an extent as he did this season – this level of domination seldom lasts. Especially with the 10% reduced aerodynamic development time, there is definitely a way back in for Mercedes and Ferrari – and it’ll be interesting to see which of the two steps up.
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)