Max Verstappen could not have been more direct: “Can we continue to do this for the next 10-15 years?” He said on the radio, immediately after winning the Formula 1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi. And indeed, the contract extension may come sooner than expected.
Helmut Marko revealed this in an exclusive interview that was broadcast on the Youtube channel of Formel1.de, the German platform of the Motorsport Network, in the late afternoon of Thursday, then between the press conference of the world champion and the FIA awards ceremony in Paris.
Before Verstappen visits him at his Graz office, a visit to Red Bull’s headquarters in Salzburg is planned. “Then we’ll see”, smiles Marko. But he expects to speak to Verstappen manager Raymond Vermeulen soon to “discuss and perhaps wrap up an extension”.
The 24-year-old’s current contract runs until the end of 2023, the same length as Lewis Hamilton’s at Mercedes. Marko does not believe that Mercedes can take the Dutchman away from him: “There is no such danger”. Verstappen, says Marko, said he would hail a cab before sitting in a Mercedes, citing the Silverstone incident as a very big rift.
Red Bull, on the other hand, is keen to continue with Verstappen. “He is the fastest, most consistent and most aggressive driver we have ever had”, remarked Marko, who sees parallels with Ayrton Senna: “These two drivers are comparable in terms of mentality, personality and aggression. We are lucky to have such a pilot “.
The entire interview with Helmut Marko lasts 34 minutes and is available on the YouTube channel of Formel1.de. Among other things, Marko talks about the Abu Dhabi drama and how he experienced it, the controversial decision of race director Michael Masi and the state of negotiations between Red Bull and the Volkswagen group.
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