Throughout his F1 career, Max Verstappen has hardly had an equally matched driving partner. With most drivers paling in comparison to the Dutchman’s prowess, Helmut Marko recently pointed out the names of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris as the only two drivers who could match Verstappen’s level.
Speaking on the Inside Line F1 podcast, Marko said, “I honestly believe there are not many drivers, maybe a Hamilton or maybe Lando [Norris] could be near to him.” Last year, the 81-year-old had dubbed Fernando Alonso as one of the drivers who could match the reigning world champion.
⚠️ | Helmut Marko identifies two drivers that could come close to Max Verstappen in equal machinery.
| The 81-year-old only mentioned two- Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. Is there anyone he forgot to mention? #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/lzmwrCMdBS
— Racing Infinity (@RacingInfinity1) August 28, 2024
Perhaps, Norris‘ 2024 form has influenced Marko’s opinion as the Briton has emerged as a solid championship challenger with McLaren’s promising car development closing the gap to Red Bull. The Dutch GP showed further evidence of the same.
Talking about the race in Zandvoort, Marko highlighted how Verstappen was able to extract the maximum from the car. Although he could not win his home race for the first time since it came back on the calendar, Verstappen still limited the damage to his championship lead with Norris taking a dominant win.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez had yet another insignificant result, finishing the race in P6. Thus, the Red Bull advisor labeled Verstappen as the fastest driver on the grid. Given the same, the hunt for the Dutchman’s next partner isn’t an easy one, despite several names popping up in the race to replace Perez at Milton Keynes.
The uncertainty about the potential Perez substitutes’ ability against Verstappen
With Perez failing to capitalize on a P2 start in Belgium, the popular belief within the paddock was that his stint at Red Bull would come to an end. However, reports then surfaced of Liberty Media potentially playing a role in saving Perez’s seat.
Amid that, Daniel Ricciardo was gearing up to reunite with Verstappen. Having previously raced with the Dutchman, the Australian driver knows what to expect and what to deliver. But with Perez staying, chances are that Red Bull will now look for a younger alternative.
As such, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are also in the running to team up with Verstappen. While both drivers feel ready for the challenge, certainly, the 26-year-old won’t make life easy for any of his teammates. Thus, the question remains whether Perez’s potential replacements will be able to keep up with the 61-time Grand Prix winner.
