Which of the two Red Bull world champions is the better driver? Advisor Helmut Marko, who has been involved with the team for twenty years, is willing to answer that question. The Austrian also reflects on Max Verstappen‘s early days with the team.
Helmut Marko has been involved with the Red Bull team since its inception in 2005. In his years as an advisor to the Austrian team, the 81-year-old has seen two drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, win the world title multiple times. Marko looks back on the time when the changing of the guard between the drivers took place.
“When (Vettel, ed.) left us at the end of 2014, we had to look for a young talent who was potentially just as interesting and offered just as much perspective,” Marko recalls in an interview with Autosprint. “The choice fell on Max.”
Which of the two is the better driver? Marko does not shy away from answering that question either, and prefers Verstappen. “Honestly, I think that Max, compared to the current competition and also to Vettel himself, belongs to a different class. He is simply on a completely different level.”
Betting on Verstappen
For a brief moment, Marko held out hope that Daniel Ricciardo, Verstappen’s former teammate, would win a title before the Dutchman. However, shortly after joining the Austrian racing team, Max Verstappen proved to be an exceptional talent.
“Max won a race right away, in Spain. Perhaps, if I had bet more on Ricciardo at that time by delaying Verstappen’s arrival at Red Bull, Daniel might have won a title. But I did it differently and I have no regrets. I’m glad I lost the bet on Ricciardo and won the bet on Verstappen,” concludes the Austrian.
