F1 News: Max Verstappen: “Without [Helmut Marko] I Can’t Continue”

After achieving the pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has spoken up about his situation at Red Bull. With rumors about him moving to Mercedes emerging after the Bahrain Grand Prix, it’s becoming clear that things at the Red Bull garage are still hectic. There are rumors of Helmut Marko leaving the team and with that Max Verstappen’s position in the team becomes uncertain.

The two have been close for the longest time with Helmut Marko’s direction leading Verstappen to many victories. Following the qualifiers, Max Verstappen spoke about how Marko was important to him and said, “I have always said that Helmut has to stay with it. Without him I cannot continue.”

Explaining his stance, the 3-time world champion said, “If people drop out who are very important to you, at some point it becomes an unworkable situation, if that were to happen.” It is to be noted that although Verstappen has stated that things might have to get crazy at Red Bull for him to leave. With Marko rumored to be leaving, the question of the driver staying in the team will begin to pop up again.

Another important thing to know is that Max Verstappen’s contract has an exit clause that states that he can leave the team before his term ends if Helmut Marko decides to quit. The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull that goes on till 2028, but with the exit clause, he might just consider leaving if Marko decides to move on.