Marko holds out hope for Verstappen ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix

After another Formula One race without a win for Max Verstappen, Helmut Marko still refuses to throw in the towel. The Austrian is still hopeful of a good end to the season for Verstappen, but the balance in the RB20 needs to be worked on soon. In his column for SpeedWeek, Marko explains.

"Nothing was running, just totally s***," was how Verstappen reacted after the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Clearly, Red Bull no longer have the best car. Verstappen's last victory was six races ago when the Dutchman won the race in Barcelona. After that, Red Bull failed to win a Grand Prix, while each rival team could take victory at least once.

"After the traditional races in Zandvoort and Monza, the Grand Prix in Baku is on the programme. The proportions are not what we want, but Checo Pérez loves this circuit and he won there in 2023," Marko sounded hopeful.

For the past three seasons, Red Bull managed to win at the street circuit in Azerbaijan. According to Marko, this should give the Austrian racing stable wings. "In Baku, we were always competitive, but this time it will be crucial how quickly we can get the desired balance back into the car. If we can do that to some extent, we should be better positioned for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix than last time. And if Verstappen gets a car he can reasonably fight with, then his extra class will come to the fore that we can build on," the Austrian concluded.