Marko praises Verstappen 'If we win the title, it will be mainly thanks to Max'
F1 News
Helmut Marko has praised Max Verstappen ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The external Red Bull advisor has stated that if he is to secure the World Championship, it will mainly be down to his own driving skills rather than an impressive Red Bull car. Meanwhile, he is not giving up hope in the Constructors' Championship in the remaining three Grand Prix weekends.
Marko is optimistic about the Las Vegas Grand Prix. If Verstappen ends the weekend with the points gap to Lando Norris at 60 or above then he will be crowned World Champion for the fourth tme. Speaking to OE24, the Austrian says: "For us, it doesn't actually look that bad: our car was also fast in the dry in Brazil, although Max was in a class of his own in the rain."
'Verstappen showed his exceptional qualities'
Of course, Marko would like Red Bull to win the Grand Prix - just like in 2023. Yet the bigger picture is the most important: Taking the championship with Verstappen. "If we win the title again this year, it will be mainly thanks to Max. With his exceptional driving skills, he managed to cover up the moments when the car was really not good."
In recent weeks, Red Bull has lost ground to McLaren and Ferrari. With Sergio Perez struggling to score points, Red Bull has slipped to third place but the Austrian team are still within touching distance. They need to close a 49 point gap with three Grands Prix and one sprint remaining. "We still have three races to go. If we get through those well, maybe it will still work out," Marko said.
This article has been created in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen