McLaren’s strategic blunder not only opens the door for Max Verstappen to win the Qatar Grand Prix, but also leaves it ajar for his fifth world title. “That was probably not the best decision,” judges Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko.
For the first time since 2010, the Formula 1 world title showdown involves more than two drivers. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri are chasing – in that order – the holy grail at next week’s final race in Abu Dhabi. “We’re going to fight for it with everything we have,” Helmut Marko warns McLaren.
Red Bull’s advisor is naturally in an excellent mood after the race in Qatar. Unexpected, yet received. With some help from the competition. “Max is one of the very best, he drove flawlessly and was tactically superb. We know,” Marko laughs, “that we have something special with him.”
For the Austrian, the impending climax is a bonus, although he never lost faith in another title for Verstappen. “When Laurent (Mekies) took over as team boss, I don’t know how many world championship points were still up for grabs, I immediately said that this championship was not lost for us and we had to go for it. I was the first and only one who thought and said that at the time. I think there are a few more now…”
In addition to a flawless race from Verstappen (‘he was at McLaren speed’), Red Bull got some help from their British colleagues. McLaren decided to be the only team not to bring both drivers in for a tyre change when the safety car came out on lap 7 following a crash between Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly. “That was probably not the best decision,” Marko believes. “Did I understand it? No, but we don’t need to understand the papaya rules. We just took it as given and made the most of it.”
