Max Verstappen has arguably been one of the greatest-ever young talents that joined F1. The driver who Helmut Marko brought to Red Bull back in 2016 is today the most sought-after racer in the sport. Verstappen has won three championships now, with his first coming back in 2021 when he ended Lewis Hamilton’s domination. However, five years prior to beating Hamilton, the Dutchman angered the 80-year-old as per racingnews365.nl.
Champions 🙌
Winning the race is the perfect way to end an amazing weekend @redbullracing 👏 Thank you all for the tremendous support and messages 🙏#QatarGP pic.twitter.com/USAHWye9L9
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 8, 2023
Verstappen and Hamilton were fierce rivals in 2021 and fought for the title until the season finale took place in Abu Dhabi. The Dutchman eventually went on to clinch victory at the Yas Marina Circuit and also ended up winning the championship as a result.
What did Max Verstappen do that angered Helmut Marko?
Max Verstappen showed incredible potential right after his debut in 2016 with Toro Rosso [currently AlphaTauri]. After a very short stint, he was promoted to Red Bull and swapped with Daniil Kvyat.
Interestingly, the 26-year-old claimed his first GP win in his very first race for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. Following this, the Dutch driver was basking in glory and this was when he committed the blunder.
Talking about this, the three-time world champion said as per racingnews365.nl, “My engineer [Lambiase] told me to push. Normally when he says that, it means I have to make a pit stop soon. At the end of that lap, I pulled into the pit lane and immediately I realized ‘Oh my God, he never told me to come in for a pit stop, what did I do?”
Although Verstappen’s mistake made Helmut Marko furious, the Dutchman explained how the 80-year-old appreciates when someone accepts their mistakes. However, ever since his mistake back then, the 26-year-old has not looked back and has established complete dominance. On the other hand, his arch-rival Lewis Hamilton has simply failed to cope.
Hamilton has failed to match Verstappen’s high standards
Max Verstappen has been utterly dominant this season as he has won 14 of the 17 races. Following his second-place finish in the sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix a week ago, the Dutchman clinched his third consecutive world championship. He has now registered 39 victories in three seasons and 29 in just his last two campaigns.
On the contrary, Lewis Hamilton is yet to win a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite the Briton’s lack of form, he hopes he can be in a position to challenge the unstoppable Verstappen and the mighty Red Bull team in 2024.
