The announcement came following Verstappen’s disappointing performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he secured a fifth-place finish. His Red Bull R20 was outmatched by the McLarens driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and he faced pressure from both Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Throughout the race, Verstappen expressed his frustration over the team radio, criticizing the pace of his car and the team’s strategy. Despite several attempts, he was unable to overtake Hamilton and even collided with him during their final encounter.
It has been reported that Verstappen stayed up late the night before the race, participating in sim racing. This lack of sleep may have contributed to his irritability and subsequent underperformance. However, Marko, speaking to various media outlets including GrandPrix247, dismissed this theory, stating that Verstappen had stayed up even later in Imola and still won the race. According to Marko, Verstappen has a different sleep schedule than most people and going to bed late is not unusual for him. He also mentioned that Verstappen didn’t even wake up when helicopters flew over his motorhome in Zandvoort. Marko insisted that Verstappen had gotten enough sleep and that claims of sleep deprivation were unfounded.
In a recent column for Speedweek, Marko changed his stance on the matter. While he maintained that staying up late did not impact Verstappen’s performance in the Hungarian GP, he acknowledged that the driver will refrain from engaging in late-night sim racing on race weekends. Marko revealed that Verstappen had stayed up until 3 o’clock in the morning after a sim racing session in Imola and still emerged victorious. He explained that Verstappen has a unique sleep rhythm and had managed to get seven hours of sleep despite the late-night activity. However, Marko stated that they have agreed that Verstappen will no longer participate in sim racing sessions late at night in the future.
