Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko reveals how he was the ‘only one’ in the Red Bull team who believed in a positive outcome for driver Max Verstappen at the GP Mexico. The Austrian even told his star driver to ‘keep thinking positively’ on the morning of the race, before the Dutchman impressively drove to the podium. ‘No one wanted to bet with me,’ Marko reveals afterwards.
Max Verstappen was pessimistic after the qualification in Mexico City for the main event. “The car just isn’t working. And it won’t work tomorrow (on Sunday, ed.) either,” was the clear conclusion of the Dutchman, who also didn’t expect a place on the podium. However, things turned out differently on Sunday in Mexico, and Verstappen, behind Charles Leclerc, secured the third podium spot. Advisor Helmut Marko was the ‘only one’ at Red Bull who saw the podium place coming.
“I was the only one who saw it positively,” the Austrian tells the media in Mexico City. Marko was even willing to put some money on it – the advisor had previously won ‘five hundred euros’ from Jos Verstappen during the GP Australia – but no one dared to bet with Marko. “No one believed it. But I told Max that morning to keep thinking positively. And then we saw what was possible.”
‘Typical Verstappen’
Especially Verstappen’s advance in the final phase of the race was impressive, according to the Austrian advisor. Unfortunately, the late Virtual Safety Car prevented the Dutchman from making another attack on Charles Leclerc for the second place. “Max drove an incredible stint. He really pushed to the limit, but at the same time managed to keep the tires intact,” Marko continues his praise. “I was afraid all the time that the tires would give out. But he drove more or less every round a time of 1:21.2, always within a tenth of a second. That’s typical Verstappen.”
