Red Bull advisor: 'Max at 25 already one of best drivers of all time'

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1 August at 07:35
Last update 1 August at 09:13
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  • Olly Darcy
  • Editor

Max Verstappen is only 25 years old, but already the Dutchman has 45 victories in Formula 1, which puts him fifth on the ranking of drivers with the most wins in the premier motorsport class. There will undoubtedly be many more, so Verstappen is certainly one of the very best drivers ever, according to Helmut Marko.

The compliments are flying around Verstappen's ears, but the 80-year-old Red Bull advisor wonders if people realise they are driving with perhaps one of the very best drivers ever. People need to realise that Max is already among the best drivers in the history of this sport. "You have to put him in the same breath as Fangio, Senna and Schumacher as the best drivers of all time. And on top of that, you have to remind yourself that he will only be 26 in two months' time...," he told Motorsport.com.

Record after record

Ten of the 12 races this season have been won by the two-time world champion in 2023, winning eight in a row before the summer break. And should Verstappen win the Dutch Grand Prix, he would match Sebastian Vettel's record of nine six in a row. Red Bull itself are currently on a run of thirteen wins in a row, a record that is being extended weekend after weekend. Are winning all the races a possibility this year?

"Rationally, no, because there are so many things that can go wrong during a race weekend. But I also never expected us to win all of the first 12 races, so that's why maybe now I have to say: well, why not?" said Marko, who also let it be known for a moment that he was surprised by the only very small steps forward made by Mercedes and Ferrari compared to last year.