Will Max Verstappen be the favourite for the world title again in 2025? For Helmut Marko, the Dutch driver is already at the top of his list of title candidates. According to Marko, even Lewis Hamilton will not be able to beat Verstappen, even though the British driver is expected to have a stronger car at his disposal as a Ferrari driver.
Lewis Hamilton officially began his adventure with Ferrari this week. The seven-time world champion, along with the many tifosi who welcomed the Brit in Maranello, naturally hopes to clinch another world title with the Scuderia. However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko doesn’t see that happening anytime soon.
“Even if (Hamilton) has a good Ferrari and we build a mediocre Red Bull for Max (Verstappen), I would put my money on Max,” the Austrian tells Sport Bild. “Max is not only the fastest, but also the best in Formula 1 from a total package perspective. He gets 0.1 to 0.2 seconds out of the car per lap that no other driver finds.”
Doubts
Despite Marko’s unwavering confidence in Verstappen, the advisor did acknowledge the impressive performances of McLaren and Ferrari in 2024. “The two racing teams had the best foundation for their cars last season and were able to perform well on most circuits,” he said.
According to Marko, however, Red Bull has an edge when it comes to driver selection, thanks to Verstappen. “Charles Leclerc is good in qualifying, but makes many mistakes in the races,” Marko continued. “And Lewis Hamilton still has the speed, but can he maintain it for an entire season? I have my doubts about that.”
