Marko on Verstappen and Lambiase: 'My phone is on for when it escalates'

Helmut Marko looks back on the Belgian Grand Prix with satisfaction, in which Red Bull Racing once again scored a one-two. Max Verstappen came back from sixth on the grid to P1, only to cross the finish line 22 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.

"It was a very difficult race because it was raining," Marko told the German branch of Sky Sports. "Max had a critical moment at Eau Rouge, otherwise, it was a very convincing performance." Verstappen almost lost control of his RB19 when rain started to fall at Spa-Francorchamps, but apart from that, he drove to victory with ease.

"The whole weekend was an incredible performance from him. It's done with ease and agility and that already elevates him to the greats of this sport. How much further that can go, I don't know. The end of this development is not yet in sight. We and the team take our hats off," Marko applauded Verstappen's performance.

The Red Bull Racing consultant is also more than satisfied with Sergio Perez's result. "He too was very strong all weekend, and we knew he would be one of the top drivers. As I said before, nobody looks good compared to Max. Of course, he's trying to win, but that's just not possible next to Max," the Austrian simply stated.

Marko on Verstappen and Lambiase

Throughout the weekend, some bickering could regularly be heard between Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. Some tension could be heard on team radio again during the race. "I heard that they are going to spend two days on an island in the Mediterranean. I said my phone is on in case it escalates," Marko joked.

In a more serious tone, he continued, "They work at a very high level and they respect each other. They both have a temperament. If you know the background, you will understand. I don't want to explain that in detail. It was all about the fastest lap and what the other driver was doing," Marko said.