via Getty
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko look on in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 17, 2021 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
via Getty
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko look on in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 17, 2021 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen became the Formula One world champion at the end of the 2021 season. He was the best driver on the grid throughout the season as he beat Lewis Hamilton on his way to becoming the world champion. After his championship win, the Red Bull driver extended his contract with the team, which keeps him with the Austrian team till the end of 2028.
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But Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealed he was a bit worried that the Dutch driver would leave the team. Red Bull had drafted the young driver to the main team in 2016 but had failed to deliver a championship-winning car.
READ MORE: Who Owns the Red Bull F1 Team?
Verstappen was arguably the best driver apart from Hamilton from 2018 onwards, but did not have the car to fight for wins consistently.
Marko reveals he feared losing Max Verstappen from Red Bull
The Austrian mentioned he was worried that the young driver would jump ship as Red Bull could not provide him with a championship-winning car. But when he had the car for the first time, he duly won the title and fulfilled his talent.
“I am proud of what Max has achieved. It confirms that it was the right choice at the time to bring him to Formula 1. And it has also silenced all the skepticism that existed in the beginning,” said Marko.
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Australian Grand Prix – Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia – April 7, 2022, Red Bull’s driver development program Helmut Marko with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during practice REUTERS/Loren Elliott
“We only had to change the years for the new contract. It seems normal to me that Max should earn more as a world champion.”
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“For a while, when we couldn’t give him a championship car, I was afraid he might go somewhere else,” concluded the Red Bull advisor. [quotes translated by Google translate]
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It is interesting to hear these comments from the Red Bull advisor regarding Verstappen’s contract. But there was no indication from the Dutch driver that he was looking to leave the team.
It is evident and natural that every team on the grid would look to get a talented driver like Max on their team. Moreover, it would have been interesting to see which team the reigning world champion would have picked if he had considered leaving Red Bull. But it is good for the sport that he stayed with the team and challenged Hamilton for the title.
