Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko commented on Max Verstappen’s victory at Silverstone and his speech about a possible early retirement due to the constant increase in the number of races.
Q: Did Verstappen’s bad start and Lando Norris’ unexpected lead make you nervous?
Helmut Marko: Not really. Max made a mistake with the clutch, but we knew that once we could use DRS he would easily overtake. It was only a matter of time. After taking the lead, Max increased the gap to nine seconds, but then the safety car entered the track, closing the gap. In addition, the soft tires on Max’s car were far from perfect.
Q: In Max’s case you sometimes get the feeling that he can win even on tires bought at the nearest gas station…
Helmut Marko: It’s true that Max has everything under control.
Q: How do you rate Sergio Perez’s performance? Should he be concerned about his place in the team?
Helmut Marko: In the race Sergio did everything right, at some points he was even the fastest on the track. If you start from fifteenth place, finishing sixth is a very normal result. In any case, nothing threatens its place, there is no doubt about it.
Q: On the ORF TV channel you said that Red Bull Racing is breaking records in every race. What’s the next record you’re looking for?
Helmut Marko: I wonder myself what is the next record we can beat! But seriously, I would never dream of such achievements. I was once shocked by Sebastian Vettel’s winning streak.
Q: But Max may not have time to break all the records. At Silverstone he said he was seriously considering an early retirement due to an increasingly busy race calendar. This is true?
Helmut Marko: Max just doesn’t say anything. I hope he completes his contract until 2028. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll come and say, “Thank you, that’s it.”
Question: In other words, you do not rule out that he will end his career early?
Helmut Marko: Let’s see how things will develop. In 2026, Formula 1 will switch to new regulations and everything can change radically.
Q: Rivals hope first Red Bull-built engine won’t be competitive…
Helmut Marko: I think they are wishful thinking!
Q: Did you see Brad Pitt’s arrival at Silverstone?
Helmut Marko: No. I was at a meeting shortly before the start and didn’t even notice that a car was leaving the track to film. They say he stopped at the exit of the pits.
Question: Do you like movies about Formula 1?
Helmut Marko: I really liked the movie “Race” about Niki Lauda. Otherwise, I’d rather watch real races.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
