In an interview with the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung, Helmut Marko clarified Red Bull’s position on the driver market, which is currently a highly discussed topic. The team consultant did not delve into Max Verstappen’s position but instead praised the contribution the world champion provides to the team.
“He doesn’t need a team around him to help in these situations,” Helmut Marko reiterated, referring to the period of tension the team experienced. “He’s an exception and he’s only 27. There will never be another Verstappen, or at least, I don’t see one at the moment.”
Helmut Marko also emphasized the support Max Verstappen received during the Jeddah weekend when his position within the team seemed uncertain.
“It was truly a great sign of loyalty that I absolutely did not take for granted, especially these days.”
2023 seems like a distant memory. A year ago, Marko had repeatedly criticized Sergio Perez for his performance falling below the team’s expectations, but today the scenario has drastically changed. Renewal for the 2025 season seems possible and even likely.
“It’s clear that Checo is having his best season since joining us,” Marko emphasized. “If he confirms performances like those in qualifying in Japan, then for Red Bull, he will definitely be the best option for 2025. He works a lot with the team, and now he also understands that the radically different setup path taken last year was a mistake. Today his car is closer to Max’s setup, and that helps him.”
Helmut Marko admitted to still being in contact with Carlos Sainz…
“We talk, he’s having his best season in Formula 1, but he has a very lucrative offer from Audi that we can’t surpass or match. We’ve known Carlos since the Toro Rosso days when he was Max’s teammate, and I remember it really hurt him when we at Red Bull chose Verstappen over him.”
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The door that could have brought Daniel Ricciardo back to Red Bull is increasingly becoming a crack.
“The challenge for him was to clearly be faster than Yuki,” Marko reiterated. “That’s the condition to aim for a spot in Red Bull. So far, it hasn’t been the case. In Japan, he got closer, we’ll see. At the moment, we’ve only had four races. Yuki, on the other hand, had a great start to the season; he’s no longer the ‘hot’ driver he once was.”
Helmut Marko didn’t delve into the possibility of a mid-season swap between Ricciardo and Liam Lawson, but he reiterated that it would be in the team’s interest to ensure the New Zealander gets a titular seat next season.
“With Liam, we have a very strong driver available,” Helmut Marko concluded, “and we know that contractually he will have the right to drive for another team if we don’t provide him with a car in 2025. It would obviously be helpful for us to see him in Formula 1 during this season; it would help us have an even clearer picture, but this is a complex issue; we’ll have to see what happens race after race.”
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