Helmut Marko thinks that Max Verstappen is a powerful driver on a street circuit, and he can use that to his advantage in Jeddah.
Formula 1 will make its debut in Saudi Arabia next week. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit in the Middle Eastern country is labelled as the fastest street circuit in the world. It is due to become a permanent addition to the F1 calendar from 2022 onwards.
The track is expected to suit Mercedes due to its high-speed layout. Red Bull chief advisor Marko, however, thinks his driver Max Verstappen will have the upper hand. The Austrian feels that Verstappen has been stronger on street circuits in 2021, which he can use in Jeddah.
Verstappen won the Monaco GP comfortably back in May and was on course to win in Baku too before his tyres exploded. Marko is hoping for a similar performance from the 24-year-old in a week.
“Max Verstappen will once again make the difference”
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have looked unbeatable in the last two races in Brazil and Qatar. On top of that, Red Bull are struggling with rear wing issues of their own. Still, Marko believes that Max can take control of the race and win it.
“We believe in Verstappen’s qualities on street circuits,” said Marko. “He won in Monaco and dominated in Baku before his unfortunate blowout. In Saudi Arabia, the driver will once again be able to make the difference.” he added.
The Red Bull boss also said they are not worried about the Mercedes engine. It won’t have as much power as it showed two weeks ago in Sao Paolo.
Verstappen leads Lewis Hamilton by just 8 points going into the race. The Dutch driver has a chance of winning the title that weekend provided Hamilton’s outing in Jeddah goes catastrophically downhill.
The final round of the F1 season takes place in the week following the Saudi Arabian GP in Abu Dhabi.
