Marko: Red Bull relies on Verstappen’s influence in F1 2024

Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, who races for Red Bull Racing, hopes to play a crucial role in combating the growing competition from other Formula 1 teams, according to Helmut Marko, a consultant for Red Bull. Verstappen had a strong start to the current season, winning four of the first five races. However, Red Bull faced defeats in Miami and Monaco, and Verstappen faced intense pressure from Lando Norris in Imola. In the Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen finished in sixth place and expressed frustration with his car’s inability to handle bumps and kerbs compared to Ferrari and McLaren cars. Marko attributed these difficulties to the aerodynamic concept focused on efficiency of the Red Bull car. Despite these challenges, Marko believes that Verstappen’s exceptional skills can make a difference on circuits where Red Bull may not be the most competitive. Verstappen agrees with Marko and believes that smoother tracks, like the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, may favor Red Bull, but the team needs to solve the issue that hindered their performance in Monaco to be competitive on all circuits.