Marko proud of Verstappen: 'Max is a thoroughbred racing driver'

Max Verstappen proved last year how great his talents are in Formula 1. The Dutchman competed with Lewis Hamilton throughout the season and eventually came out on top. It gives Helmut Marko a proud feeling.

The Red Bull Racing advisor worked hard behind the scenes in recent years to give Verstappen the handles to fight for the world title. Especially in qualifying, the Austrian racing stable had to make steps, but it succeeded in doing so in 2021. Marko sees that the team made strides especially in the final phase of the season.

"Max is a thoroughbred racing driver who always goes to the limit," the Austrian explained in an interview with ServusTV. "He wants to get 110, 120 percent out of the car in qualifying, much more than the car gives. I think we only had the engine power in the last third of this season."

At the end of the season, Mercedes actually had the faster car. Hamilton managed to finish winning the three races before the end of the season. In Abu Dhabi, however, Verstappen managed to pull out the victory and win the world championship. This coming season, Mercedes and Red Bull seem to be challenging each other again.