Marko: 'Verstappen is the best driver I have ever worked with'

Helmut Marko rarely puts a lid on his appreciation for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull advisor never misses a moment to give his pupil some feathers. Now that the Dutchman has won the world title as well, the Austrian is in awe of him.

Verstappen the best driver ever

For Red Bull Racing, Verstappen is the second driver ever to win a world title. After Sebastian Vettel's four titles from 2010 to 2013, it was the Dutchman who gave the team its fifth. The fierce and exciting battle with Lewis Hamilton made the title even more special.

At ServusTV, Marko, therefore, puts the Dutchman above Vettel and calls Verstappen the best driver he has ever worked with. "Yes. He certainly is," he said. Marko also manages to name that his incredible willpower makes the Dutchman so special. Also, according to him, Verstappen doesn't need a warm-up. "If it's raining somewhere, other drivers need five or eight laps. Then Max comes out and sets the best time on the first lap."

Verstappen is very adaptable

Another example of Verstappen's enormous adaptability, according to Marko, was the weekend in Saudi Arabia where no one had ever driven before. There, the brand new world champion was immediately much faster than all the other drivers on his first lap. "That is one of his fascinating qualities," said the 78-year-old Marko.