Dr. Helmut Marko: "Max has the traits of a future world champion"

Published on 08 September 2016 by Niels Hendrix

Talking to Formula1.com Red Bull motorsport consultant Dr. Helmut Marko answers a few questions. 
 
Helmut, your young superstar Max Verstappen has received quite a bit of criticism lately. What is justified, and what is not?
"Nothing is justified. Max is a different calibre. He has the traits of a future world champion and he is just doing what is necessary to get there. It obviously surprises some that this also involves overtaking and defending. If there had been something gravely wrong the stewards would have penalised him. It is a bit like when Michael Schumacher came in. I remember a race in Hockenheim when there was nearly a fistfight between him and Ayrton Senna - Senna the top dog at this time and Schumacher the new hopeful..."

Have the other drivers become ‘lambs’ - and Max is the only ‘wolf’ on the grid?
"Ha! But probably we are lacking strong personalities lately. On top, there are drivers doing their last season so they are complaining about Max, about safety, about anything. With Max here is someone who is really young with a strong idea of what he wants - and he is not shy of trying to get it, of trying to be successful. And the reaction of the fans plays to his advantage: I would say he is probably now the most popular driver on the grid - worldwide."

Bernie Ecclestone said recently that F1 racing could do with a dozen of Max’s kind...
"So let’s look for more! But I remember all too well that when we brought him in we got criticised from all sides."

At just 18, he is still very much in the process of growing up. What are you doing to keep his raw qualities, to make sure not too many sharp edges get smoothed away? Right now he is very attractive to the 15- to 25-year-old age group - a demographic that is traditionally pretty hard to reach...
"We are Red Bull! We tell him to freely speak his opinion. And yes, it’s all about Max."

Everybody seems to believe that Max is a future champion. When will he be ready - and when will Red Bull Racing be ready?
"We think that we are ready next year. We’ve always done well when there is a regulation change that doesn’t only focus on the engine. And the work on our engine is developing in the right direction, so in 2017 we should be within around 15 horsepower [of Mercedes] - and this we can compensate for. So our aim is to challenge Mercedes next season."