Helmut Marko: “Max Verstappen is the benchmark”

Helmut Marko: “Max Verstappen is the benchmark”

Helmut Marko believes that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are currently 'the best combination' on the grid.

The result of the British Grand Prix was a disappointment for Max Verstappen for the second year in a row. While Sergio Perez was able to recover from front-wing damage to eventually finish second (helped along by the late safety car), Max Verstappen was driving one-handed for most of the race.

After Carlos Sainz had gone wide on lap 10, Max Verstappen took the lead of the Grand Prix, but he was unable to keep the lead, as 2 laps later, Verstappen went over ‘a bit of carbon’ as he described it, and then was driving with floor damage for the rest of the race.

The Dutchman eventually finished 7th, after having an intense battle with Mick Schumacher towards the end of the race. While he would be disappointed by the greater result, in the context of the events, it was very good, and Max Verstappen only lost 6 points to Charles Leclerc.

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Also Read: “We were so dominant and then something like this happens…” Helmut Marko was disappointed after a P2 finish in the British Qualifying.

Helmut Marko is very impressed with Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko
Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko

Talking to Die Presse, Helmut Marko was full of praise for the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen. On being asked the reasons for the Dutchman’s strong performance this season, Marko said: “It’s definitely the best combination in the field, that’s for sure. Especially when you look at Verstagen’s young age, he is 24 years old, everything speaks for him.”

Marko also felt that at least currently, Verstappen was superior to Lewis Hamilton: “Hamilton is an exceptional driver, with 37 years of life experience and seven titles to his name, he also has a lot of experience in tire management. But when it comes to speed, Max is clearly the benchmark on all fronts.”

When asked what Verstappen is told before a race, Marko said: “In Canada, we were not sure if we could win. The first advice we gave him was to go for a certain number of points, but in the final laps, it became exciting. He just wanted to win.”

Max Verstappen has certainly matured in his driving this year, no longer taking as many risks as he did in previous years. In Canada, he defended against Carlos Sainz almost effortlessly it seemed, even though Sainz had more pace. Helmut Marko felt the same and said that Verstappen now drives without making any mistakes.

Also Read: “We are not running optimally,” Helmut Marko ” disappointed with Red Bull’s poor run in FP2

Also Read: “It felt like a puncture, I suddenly had no balance,” Max Verstappen reveals why he struggled at Silverstone