Marko sees transformation Verstappen: 'He could freak out on Friday'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Helmut Marko sees a fantastic transformation from Max Verstappen. The Dutchman could crown himself Formula 1 world champion for the second time in Singapore on Sunday 2 October. According to Marko, he is driving faster, but with less risk.
Verstappen no longer freaks out on Friday
Speaking to Austrian ORF, Marko reveals that Verstappen has made great strides and is more mature in the car. "Max has almost become a tyre whisperer. In the past, he could freak out if something didn't work on Friday. He sees that very differently now," the Red Bull Racing advisor reveals.
At Red Bull, they work fully towards the race, something that might have bothered Verstappen, Marko reveals. " Max just always wanted to be at the front, but if you know that is impossible, then you can also live with a second or third starting place," the 79-year-old Austrian says. Verstappen has already shown several times in 2022 that a starting spot in the top five is not even necessary for a win. In Belgium, he even managed to win the Grand Prix from 14th starting position.
Red Bull is in a different situation
This is not the first time that Red Bull is fighting for the world titles, but now with Verstappen, it feels a bit different than it was over a decade ago with Sebastian Vettel. "I think there is less pressure on the team now. The team has also proved what it can do and that it can handle all the processes," Marko said.
During Red Bull's Verstappen era, there is a clear number one within the team. According to Marko, this was less the case when Vettel and Mark Webber formed the driver duo at the Austrian racing stable. Those two drivers had a strong rivalry, something that is a lot less the case with Verstappen and Sergio Perez.