Marko ignores Schumacher advice: 'No team orders'

Red Bull Racing has been unbeatable so far in 2023, especially on Sundays. For now, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez also look set to duke it out between the two of them to see who wins Formula 1. Helmut Marko can only enjoy this and says he will rule out team orders in the near future.

Speaking to ÖSTERREICH , he explained why Perez was twice faster than Verstappen in Azerbaijan last weekend. "It was the usual story: Max did not get it right with his set-up, we drive on a street circuit and Perez comes out on top."

The next few days will see the second race in Miami. For Marko, Verstappen is now 'just' the favourite again. "Here I see Max at the front again. In qualifying, like in Baku, Leclerc could be fast, the race should be ours again. And I maintain: seen over the season, Max Verstappen is the man, he is the most consistent," said the 80-year-old Austrian.

No team orders

In Baku, both Perez and Verstappen fought to the end for the fastest lap. It could just be that the two will encounter each other more often in the race in the coming weeks. Ralf Schumacher advised Red Bull to switch to team orders soon because otherwise the internal rivalry would become too big.

The Austrians are not so worried about it. "As long as everything stays within reasonable limits, we will not intervene. You don't have to worry about the atmosphere in the team, which is fine [...]. As long as we are superior, such an internal team battle is good for everyone," Marko said.

Dominant Red Bull

In the world championship, Verstappen is on 93 points after four Grands Prix. Perez follows six points behind. Red Bull's lead over number two Aston Martin in the constructors' championship is already particularly large: 180 to 87 points.