Max Verstappen is undoubtedly one of the best drivers on the current grid as he has already won two world championships and clinched 45 victories at the age of just 25. However, it is pertinent to note that the number of wins cannot solely help judge a driver’s ability as the car they drive in F1 makes a huge difference. And since the Dutchman is driving the Red Bull, which is by far the fastest car on the current grid, most of his dominance has been a result of the kind of performance his car can generate in comparison to his rivals. But, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that even if Verstappen was driving the Haas, which is arguably one of the slowest cars on the current grid, the 25-year-old would have yet managed to put it on pole.
Interestingly, Marko has made these remarks at a time when Verstappen’s rivals are attempting to slow him down. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly urged the FIA to amend the rules to reduce the possibility of one team dominating F1 for a long time.
A perfect weekend in Spa 🇧🇪 We’ve been on it from start to finish @redbullracing 💪 The car was great 🚀
Thank you Orange Army, your support has been unreal 🙌 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/05mFAL5FWG
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) July 30, 2023
His remarks undoubtedly are aimed at Verstappen and Red Bull, who are looking to secure consecutive championships this season. However, considering Marko’s recent remarks, it seems unlikely that anything will reduce the Dutchman’s domination at the moment.
Marko believes Verstappen “would be in a class of his own” in any car
While recently speaking about Max Verstappen’s domination, Helmut Marko said (as quoted by motorsport-total.com), “Max would be in a class of his own in every car. The Max from 2020 cannot be compared to the Max from 2023 – apart from the fact that the name is the same. He has gained tremendous sovereignty“.
After stating the same, the Austrian went on to add how Verstappen has become even better than Lewis Hamilton, who is arguably one of the greatest drivers of all time. “For me, the master of reading races was always [Lewis] Hamilton, how he divided his tires. And Max is now on par with that,” explained Marko.
Marko believes that Verstappen has matured so much that the 25-year-old can also put the Haas on pole if mixed conditions exist during a qualifying session. “If such conditions exist, he puts an AlphaTauri or Haas, which is a qualifying car, on pole,” concluded Marko.
The 80-year-old’s comments about Verstappen potentially putting the Haas on the pole are interesting as Guenther Steiner too has acknowledged that he would like to have the Dutchman in his team if he had the opportunity.
Guenther Steiner would choose Max Verstappen over Lewis Hamilton
In an interview earlier this year, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner explained how he would prefer to choose Max Verstappen in his side over Lewis Hamilton if given a choice. The Italian-American’s remarks came when the Sky Sports interviewer had asked him to pick one between the two.
Steiner explained that he would prefer Verstappen over Hamilton as any team boss would choose a driver that is already in a purple patch. It is fair to say that the Red Bull driver is having the time of his life as he has won 10 of the 12 races this season, including the last eight in a row.
