F1 Today | Hulkenberg snub Red Bull's mistake? Marko responds to Verstappen's outing in a Mercedes

Nico Hülkenberg finally broke his podium curse at Silverstone, and with it came renewed debate over whether the German could’ve been a better fit alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. When asked by OE24, Helmut Marko admitted that Hülkenberg was once considered, but ultimately lost out to Sergio Pérez. "Checo won back then, Hulkenberg threw races away. He's better now. The older he gets, the fewer mistakes he makes,” Marko explained, adding that the veteran is “better now” and makes fewer mistakes as he’s aged.

Hülkenberg’s stellar drive delivered Sauber’s first podium since 2012, and after 239 starts without silverware, Marko joined the chorus of praise: “We can only congratulate him. He’s very popular in the paddock.” While Yuki Tsunoda continues to struggle and Lawson remains sidelined, some in the paddock are wondering if Red Bull missed a trick by letting Hülkenberg slip through their fingers.

Max Verstappen stirred the pot during the British Grand Prix weekend, not on track, but online, after being spotted behind the virtual wheel of a Mercedes in an iRacing sim event. Naturally, the internet ran wild with speculation, but Helmut Marko was quick to shut it down. Speaking to OE24, the Red Bull advisor brushed off any meaning behind the car choice, saying, “Max drives an Aston Martin, a Ferrari, and an Audi on public roads. So why not a Mercedes?”

While the sim outing added fuel to the ongoing Mercedes rumours, Marko remained unfazed. He acknowledged that Verstappen might be “in talks”, a nod to the ongoing F1 driver market buzz, but stressed that “there are no current developments.” With Verstappen’s contract locked in until 2028 and no exit clause currently in play, Red Bull isn't stressing over the sim session.