Helmut Marko believes that Max Verstappen’s superiority is such that he would have won the Canadian Grand Prix even if he hadn’t been driving the Red Bull. Despite the race’s fluctuating conditions, Verstappen, a three-time world champion, emerged victorious. However, there were numerous ‘what ifs,’ including the delayed pit stop for Lando Norris after the Safety Car and George Russell’s costly mistakes.
Asked if Verstappen would have won driving a McLaren or Mercedes, Marko confidently told Austria’s OE24: “Yes! Only Max has the race overview and the confidence to step on the gas when necessary. Apart from that, our team adopted absolutely the right strategy.”
The Canadian Grand Prix demonstrated that McLaren can consistently challenge Red Bull, and Mercedes also showed renewed competitiveness. Meanwhile, Ferrari, expected to dominate after Monaco, had a disastrous weekend, with neither driver finishing the race.
Recent races suggest that the dominance expected from Verstappen and Red Bull might be contested by McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes, who are intensifying their efforts. “It won’t be a clear-cut story because our car and our simulator have certain weaknesses,” Marko admitted. “But we are working hard to rectify this. We’ve always realised that we won’t win every race. It’s good for us that the others can’t get any consistency. If everything goes normally for us, Max will be ahead in the race.”
Another concern for Marko was the grid penalty given to Sergio Perez for driving his car in an unsafe condition after damaging his rear wing by hitting the barriers. To avoid jeopardizing Verstappen’s lead with a Safety Car. The team instructed Perez to return to the pits rather than abandon his car on the track.
“We’re not going to discuss it anymore,” said Marko. “We’ll get over the three-place demotion. At the time, we didn’t know how serious the damage was. We couldn’t see it with the camera angle we had available and we wanted Checo to continue because anything was possible in this race. And you never know how much debris will fly off. Others have driven around with more parts hanging off,” he added, referring to Lewis Hamilton’s 2020 British Grand Prix win on three wheels.
Marko’s confidence in Verstappen’s capabilities and the team’s strategic decisions highlight the ongoing challenges and unpredictability in Formula 1. As competitors strive to close the gap on Red Bull.
