Marko: 'Verstappen needs another title to not feel pressure'

For Max Verstappen, winning the world title was the ultimate life goal. Since his youth, he and his father Jos had been completely focused on being the best in Formula 1. With the goal achieved, a burden would have fallen off his shoulders.

In several interviews, Verstappen himself indicated that the now pressure is gone. The world title is in, everything that comes now is extra. The Dutchman then invariably added that he is still burning with ambition and wants to win as many races as possible. This season he succeeded once. In return, there were two dropouts.

Red Bull Racing's Helmut Marko sees that Verstappen is still motivating himself to the max. Breakdowns like in Bahrain and Melbourne are still hard for Verstappen to digest, the Austrian believes. "I was hoping that winning the title would relax him, but he probably needs another world championship to not feel the pressure," Marko told Austrian broadcaster ORF.

If Verstappen wants to win the world title this season, he will have a hell of a job. The gap to championship leader Charles Leclerc is already 46 points. Verstappen will get another chance in a week when the first European race of the season is held in Imola.