Verstappen finally has a strong teammate: 'He's staying close'

F1 News

23 June 2021 at 07:51
Last update 23 June 2021 at 08:57
  • GPblog.com

The battle between Red Bull Racing and Mercedes has really begun this year, and that means we can really compare the drivers for once. Helmut Marko is enjoying Max Verstappen so far, but he's also wary of the budget cap.

Max Verstappen has been with Red Bull Racing since 2016, and has been with the team since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo at the end of 2018. The Dutchman has brought the team to where they are today, and now also finally has a teammate who can support him in that. That makes for a satisfied Helmut Marko.

Verstappen makes impression

''Max Verstappen is an absolute exception. You could see that again with the wind. Whether the car gets more nervous or not, it doesn't matter to him. With his experience and base speed Perez can stay close to Max. The other drivers have never managed to do that in this constant way,'' Marko told ServusTV.

''In the past, there was only one team competing for the world title. Bottas was even capable of competing for the world title, or at least he thought so. This year, however, it is different. Now there are two teams fighting at the front, and that's why you need that second driver so badly'', adds Mathias Lauda, Niki's son.