Verstappen jokingly contradicts Marko: 'Helmut's not in the car!'

18:22, 26 Jul

byMarnik Kok

Max Verstappen finished in P4 in qualifying for the Belgian GP. McLaren dominates, but Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is not ready to admit that yet. Verstappen has a good answer to that at Spa-Francorchamps.

After finished in P2 in Sprint Qualifying, the Dutchman will begin Sunday's Grand Prix from the second row of the Friday. After his first run, Verstappen was in third place, however, he had wheel spin exiting Turn 1, leading him to finish fourth behind also Charles Leclerc.

Talking to GPblog among others, Verstappen says there was not much more in it. "P3 was the highest achievable."

"Nothing changed in the first run and it just didn't go well. Something did change in the second run," the four-time world champion explained.

Verstappen: 'Marko is not in the car'

According to the team's top advrisor, Helmut Marko, there is still hope for the drivers' championship. Verstappen finds it amusing. "Helmut is not in the car. No," causing laughter during the press moment.

"Well, I understand that you have to be positive", the Dutchman continued in more seriously.

"But I am always realistic about what I feel in the car. And when I look at certain onboards of other cars, I don’t know..."