Marko and Wolff agree: 'Only something extraordinary can stop Verstappen'
21:34, 29 Jun 2024
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Nicole MulderManaging Editor
Nicole Mulder is Managing Editor at GPblog and a specialist in Formula 1 and MotoGP. With years of experience and permanent FIA accreditation at Grands Prix worldwide, she delivers reliable coverage and insights based on direct access to drivers and the F1 paddock.
Helmut Marko and Toto Wolff may not always have had a great relationship, on this they agree: Max Verstappen is in a class of his own in Austria. The top men of Red Bull Racing and Mercedes do not believe anyone will be able to stop Verstappen.
Marko and Wolff agree on Verstappen
In recent times, Lando Norris has put considerable pressure on Verstappen on several occasions. At the Austrian Grand Prix, however, Marko does not expect the McLaren driver to make things difficult for Verstappen. "Norris can concentrate on Max and doesn't have a teammate breathing down his neck. But with the lead in hand and two new sets of hard tyres in these temperatures - the way Max is driving now, only something extraordinary can stop him," he is quoted by Motorsport-Magazin.
Wolff cannot help but agree with his rival. "Max is driving in a different hemisphere, he is gone immediately," the Mercedes team boss adjudges firmly in conversation with the German branch of Sky Sports. "The gap to him is huge, and that on a circuit with a lap time of just one minute. I think the ranking will probably remain the same tomorrow."
On the chances of his own drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, Wolff is clear: "We lose 12 kilometres per hour compared to Verstappen, then of course you can't achieve anything. But I think it's really just a downforce problem. We don't have enough downforce here in the fast corners," Wolff said.
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9 | AlpineALP | 32 | |
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