There were a lot of narratives going into the Abu Dhabi weekend. Of course, there was the fight for the Constructors’ Championship between Mercedes and Ferrari, and then the P4 in the Drivers’ Championship. If Red Bull fans felt a little left out from the action, Dr Helmut Marko had a solution for that.

Helmut Marko and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner entered into a friendly bet. Wagering $550, Helmut Marko didn’t believe that Verstappen could secure a spot in the front row. Verstappen was struggling in all the 2 practice sessions that he participated in. In fact, he went on to call his car a ‘Shitbox’ in FP2. After these comments, the former F1 driver ruled Verstappen out of a front-row start. However, the Dutchman proved him wrong, making Horner $550 richer. 

Verstappen’s Triumph: A Pole Position Surprise

As the qualifying drama unfolded, Marko’s skepticism clashed with the brilliance of the Red Bull team. Despite Max Verstappen‘s struggles during the weekend, he defied expectations by clinching a surprise pole position. The World Champion, admitting the sensation felt “weird,” reveled in the victory over his advisor. Marko, forced to part with 550 dollars, acknowledged the miscalculation with a sense of satisfaction. Reflecting on the bet, he admitted, “I should have known Max!” 

Speaking to Autosport about the bet, Marko said: “I never believed that we could come back for qualifying the way that we did. We lost in FP3 half a second just in sector three, so it was some sort of motivation also. Christian said front row and I said no, second row. I lost it, but I’m very happy that our engineers did a fantastic job to make the right adjustments, and also that Max in the end delivered.”

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The Red Bull advisor praised the engineers for their adjustments and Verstappen for delivering when it mattered most. Verstappen, with a mischievous grin, playfully declared that Marko had learned his lesson: never doubt the potential of the reigning champion.

Lessons Learned: Marko’s Humbling Experience

Verstappen’s laughter echoed Marko’s valuable lesson: never bet against the Dutch driver. Marko conceded, “Unfortunately, he’s right,” emphasizing the unpredictable nature of Formula 1. 

“Obviously the temperatures helped, but the main thing was that he did right the adjustments without losing top speed because not everybody was convinced that we will be in the front. And overtaking is very important, so you need the top speed,” stated Helmut Marko. 

Max Verstappen credited this pole to his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. “But I think GP [Gianpiero Lambiase] stayed calm and he definitely went through a lot of options. And then with my feedback, he came up with a very good set-up for qualifying.”

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Well, I think the true lesson for Dr Marko is not to bet against GP!