Helmut Marko: “Let’s see what Max delivers”

Published on 11 March 2016 by Niels Hendrix

In an interview with Formula1.com, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko is asked: at Scuderia Toro Rosso you have two extremely fast youngsters in Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. Will running a 2015-spec Ferrari engine slow them down?

“They are happy to have this engine rather than none at all. And I could imagine that they will land in front of Red Bull Racing at the start of the season - probably until midseason - because the power difference is still that significant. In midseason probably the performance will drop, as you cannot further develop the 2015 engine”, replies Marko.

Will 2016 also be a ‘shoot-out’ among the four Red Bull drivers? Will Max be the one to stir things up at Red Bull Racing?
Marko: “We basically have long-term contracts at the Red Bull Junior program and the whole program is based on performance. So no shoot-out, but be very clear: the one who is not delivering goes.”

Do you see Max at Red Bull Racing next year, though?
Marko: “Let’s see what he delivers. The second season is sometimes trickier than the first!”