“He built his son up with all his knowledge”: Red Bull chief feels Max Verstappen became a better driver because of his father Jos’ lack of success in F1

Helmut Marko said that Max Verstappen being a great F1 driver is indirectly linked to his father Jos’ lack of success in the sport. 

Jos Verstappen made his F1 debut in 1994 alongside the legendary Michael Schumacher at Benetton. While the latter went on to win the Championship that year, Jos could only manage a 10th place finish with 2 podiums.

That would be the peak success of his F1 career as he would fail to make a significant impact in the sport following his stint at Benetton. After unsuccessful spells at Footwork, Simtek, Stewart, Tyrrell, Arrows, and Minardi, Verstappen decided to move away from Formula 1.

The story of his son Max’s F1 career is completely different. He was seen as a generational talent upon his entry into the sport and at the age of just 18, he became the youngest F1 race winner of all time, at the Spanish GP in 2016.

Last year, after an intense battle with Lewis Hamilton, Max won his first World Championship, and at the age of just 24, he has a long way to go in F1.

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Marko feels that Max’s success has been an indirect effect of his father’s lack of success.

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Helmut Marko talks about what made Max Verstappen successful

Verstappen Sr. switched teams very frequently during his F1 career. His desire to strive for short-term success prevented him from getting the time to adjust to a particular car.

With Max Verstappen, the approach was different. The Dutchman spent 5 years in a Red Bull that wasn’t able to challenge Mercedes or Lewis Hamilton for the title. But when they were able to present him with the right mechanical package in 2021, Max lived up to the challenge.

“You have to see that from the start. His father Jos was a successful Formula 1 driver, a quick one,” said Marko. “He built his son up with all this knowledge, avoiding any mistakes.”

The 78 year old Austrian went on to say that Red Bull’s relationship with the Verstappen family was not very smooth at the beginning.

“It was a bit difficult at the beginning, but then he took a back seat,” he said. However, he added the fact that the two parties are on excellent terms as of now.

Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull expires at the end of the 2023 season but it’s only seen as a matter of time before the 2021 Champ extends his stay in Milton-Keynes.

“I’m very happy where I am right now. I do hope we can do this together for another 10 or 15 years.” Verstappen said after winning the World Title.

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