Helmut Marko doesn’t mince words; after two mediocre free practice sessions in Las Vegas, the Austrian predicts a challenging time ahead for Max Verstappen. Despite this, he believes the Dutchman has scored enough points to secure the title this year. If it doesn’t happen in Vegas, it will in Qatar. Moreover, Marko expects more from Mercedes than rival McLaren this weekend.
Max Verstappen had a tough opening day in Las Vegas. On the streets of the entertainment capital, he clocked the fifth and seventeenth time. In addition, Red Bull regrets bringing a faulty rear wing, which could potentially cost the team a lot of time in the qualification. Helmut Marko expressed his concerns in a conversation with Austrian ORF.
“With our performance, we are utterly hopeless,” said the Red Bull advisor. “We can forget about second place, let alone first place.” Marko, therefore, has little hope that his team will win the constructors’ title for the third time in a row this year. Red Bull is in third place leading up to the last triple header of the year. Championship leader McLaren has built a lead of forty-nine points.
Strong Mercedes Performance
“It’s been clear for a while that we’re at risk of losing the title,” explained Helmut Marko. “If you look at the points Sergio Pérez has scored so far compared to Verstappen, you know where we’re falling short.” Marko finds comfort in the thought that Verstappen will undoubtedly win the drivers’ championship again. “Let’s make sure Max takes that title, then it will be easier for us to win something in the constructors’ championship again.”
For the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix – not the favorite race of Der Doktor – Marko expects a lot from Mercedes, which was surprisingly fast in the first free practices. “We’ve seen this several times this year with Mercedes, where they suddenly become very strong and capable of winning,” he concluded. “But let’s wait and see how it goes tomorrow. The more grip there is on the circuit, the more the order can change.”
