Marko draws rare comparison between Verstappen and F1 champion

Rindt drove in Formula 1 from 1964 until 1970. He won the title in his final season, and is the only posthumous champion in the competition's history.

According to Marko, both Verstappen and Rindt are incredibly fast and willing to push to the limit, but they do differ in some respects.

He explained to F1-Insider: "Visually, Rindt is completely different from Max. Max is more like the elegant, young 'favourite son-in-law.' Rindt always had a cigarette in his mouth."

Marko continued about his first long conversation with the young Verstappen. "The first conversation with Max went far beyond the usual time. Here's a 15-year-old body with the mind of a 25-year-old.

"He knew exactly what he wanted. And you could immediately tell: He would do everything to achieve it," the former advisor added about the Dutchman.

He continued about Rindt: "He was more of an adventurer – giving it his all. Not as analytical as Max.

Marko believes that now, even the best talents can't win if the car is not right, but there is an exception to that, namely, Verstappen.

Since the Dutchman's first title battle in 2021, Marko also sees another strength added to his skills. "That year, Hamilton was still the better tyre expert – now Max is the master in that area too."

He concluded by explaining that the Red Bull driver would fare better in the 1970s than Rindt would in today’s Formula 1. "Jochen certainly wouldn't have sat down for hours and done analyses."

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