Marko: ‘No Danger’ of Max Verstappen Leaving Red Bull for Mercedes F1

Red Bull motorsports advisor Helmut Marko recently opened up about the future prospects of Max Verstappen with the team. The Dutchman has been a part of Red Bull for the last six seasons. The current standing contract between the two is until the end of the 2023 F1 season.

After his much-awaited championship win in Abu Dhabi, he expressed his delight towards the team over the radio. “Can we continue to do this for the next 10-15 years?” The Dutchman was brought into F1 by Marko at the tender age of 17 years. However, the wunderkind proved his worth with time.

Marko wants to retain Max Verstappen in Red Bull

The Austrian manager has been a keen observer of Verstappen’s career. He recently talked about his first meeting with the Dutchman, which left him highly impressed. Marko draws a parallel between Brazilian star Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen in terms of aggression and mentality.

“These two drivers are comparable in terms of mentality, personality, and aggression. We are lucky to have such a pilot,” said the Austrian as reported by Motorsport.

“He is the fastest, most consistent, and most aggressive driver we have ever had,” he added.

The Dutchman has won 20 Grand Prix, half of which came in the latest season. He also holds the record for most podiums in an F1 season; 18 in the 2021 season. Verstappen has finally announced his arrival as the next big thing in F1 and Red Bull are keen on continuing with him.

Moving to Mercedes is off the table for Verstappen

Marko wrote off any possibility of the Red Bull prodigy moving to Mercedes in the future. More recently, Verstappen senior also put across a similar stance. He says that there were talks with Toto Wolff, but the real Toto has shown himself and there is no click anymore.

Marko said that the Silverstone crash between the two title protagonists has made irreparable damage to Verstappen’s equation with the Silver Arrows. He went on to say that the Dutchman would rather take a cab than sit in a Mercedes. “There is no such danger.” 

Max Verstappen is soon expected to get an extension in the contract with Red Bull. The Milton Keynes team have been known to realize and retain their best pilots and Max is certainly one of the best they’ve ever had. What are your predictions for Red Bull for the 2022 season?

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