'It's up to me to make it clear to drivers that Verstappen is better'

Helmut Marko does not consider himself as much of a creep as people sometimes see him. The Red Bull Racing advisor is known as a strict boss to the F1 team's young talent, but he himself says he is just doing his job. And that work may well include telling other drivers that they are no better than Max Verstappen.

Red Bull Racing prides itself on its junior programme and the opportunities given to young racing talents at the team. It is sometimes a gamble, but with Marko in charge, the risk is minimal. Indeed, the Austrian seems to take care of that himself. In appointing Max Verstappen to the then Toro Rosso team at the age of 17, Marko, among others, made one of the best moves in F1 history. Verstappen is now a two-time world champion and has it in him to win even more titles.

Marko should make it clear that Verstappen is unbeatable

Marko's reputation as a particularly strict and ruthless leader of the juniors has been somewhat exaggerated, according to the Austrian. Speaking to Road and Track he explains this further, citing Verstappen in his example: "Teammates compare their car with his: 'Do we have the same car, how can I beat him?' On a level playing field, you simply can’t. So they try to change the configuration of the car or their driving style. Of course, you can’t accept that you’re not as good as the other guy."

And at that point, Marko has to do his job and the advisor will have to tell it like it is: "At a certain point, you have to know that someone is special and that you cannot beat them. It's up to me to make that clear to the drivers. Is that cruel? I don't think so."