Red Bull’s Helmut Marko Opens Up About Max Verstappen & 2017 Title Expectations

After winning four consecutive titles, Red Bull Racing went into a slumber, only to wake up this year with some very impressive showings.

RBR motorsport consultant Helmut Marko talked about the 2017 season and their battle with Ferrari, as well as rising star Max Verstappen, in an exclusive interview with Formula1.com.

Asked about the criticism that young Max Verstappen has received lately and how justified it may be, Marko promptly answered that it is not justified, and that Verstappen is simply in another league compared to other drivers.

“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 penalized him.”

“It is a bit like when Michael Schumacher came in. I remember a race in Hockenheim where there was nearly a fistfight between him and Ayrton Senna – Senna the top dog at this time and Schumacher the new hopeful.”

Marko even goes on to say that Verstappen is currently the most popular driver on the grid and that Formula 1 should look to bring in more drivers like him. Of course, now that a lot of people already seeing Verstappen as a future champion, this means that the team has to be capable of really challenging Mercedes for podiums.

When asked about when his team will finally be ready to take on Mercedes, Marko replied: “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.”

As for Red Bull’s fight against Ferrari this year, Marko states that he’s “pretty confident” and that it will be an interesting battle between the two teams, which are currently separated only by 11 points in the Constructor Standings for this year.