Marko: "Zandvoort would of course be the icing on the cake"

Max Verstappen will compete in his first home Formula 1 race this weekend. The Dutchman is fans favourite amoungst those at Zandvoort who can be seen wearing orange in the grandstand. Helmut Marko expects his Red Bull driver to grow infront of this home crowd.

Verstappen is locked in an intense title battle between himself and Lewis Hamilton. The British driver currently leads the championship, but the Red Bull car is looking strong and nobody can predict who will win. In the meantime, all energy is focused on the Dutch Grand Prix, where a win will mean so much for Verstappen.

"Zandvoort would of course be the icing on the cake," Marko said in a conversation with Krone. "I believe that the route tends towards Mercedes, the curve combinations are more likely to meet them. But for that we have Max Verstappen, who will grow beyond himself again in front of his Orange Army."

Marko is keen to point out that his team are head in the victory column: "7:4 victories already show that we are the faster!"

Zandvoort's return to F1 brings a unique feature in the modern version of the sport. A few of the corners are banked which will make things interesting the drivers and teams. Marko explains.

"It really pushes you in, the slope is worse than in Daytona. But in practice it always looks different," Marko adds.