Marko: 'Hamilton no longer has that advantage over Verstappen either'

Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko is responsible for the arrival of Max Verstappen to the team. The Austrian saw potential in the Dutchman and the partnership proved extremely successful. There was only one moment when Marko thought they would lose the two-time F1 champion.

'All Hamilton's advantage is gone'

In conversation with De Telegraaf Marko sounds surprised to be told that Verstappen will now be driving his ninth F1 season in 2023. Not believing what he hears, the Austrian sticks to his old story; Verstappen is not yet at the top of his game.

Marko: "Last year he took another step, I think. That he is very fast, we all already knew. But in terms of managing his tyres, he got a lot better. Lewis Hamilton might have had an advantage earlier because of his experience, but Max is now at the top on that part too."

Renault situation scared Marko

Although Marko is known as a particularly strict talent scout in Formula 1, after all the successes in the case of Verstappen, that has turned around. There was even a moment when the roles were reversed and it was precisely Marko who feared the Dutchman would leave the team. "That was when we were in the engine situation with Renault. I knew we had to do something then. We have always been open towards Max. We told him about the situation, about the problems and about the possibilities."

"When we wanted to engage with Honda, we first talked to him and explained how we saw it for us." In the talks held with Porsche and later with Ford, Verstappen was also closely involved by the team. Marko: "Precisely because he is the most important part of our team."