Marko: Verstappen could beat every driver on the current grid

No driver could beat Max Verstappen in the same car, claims Red Bull's Motorsport Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko after assessing the Milton Keynes-based outfit's driver pairing.

Red Bull has dominated Formula One since the beginning of the new, ground-effect era that took effect at the start of the 2022 season. However, while the opening two seasons of the new era saw Red Bull dominate proceedings, this year has been much harder for the Milton Keynes-based squad with Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes all having posed a serious threat for them.

Despite the sterner competition, reigning world champion Max Verstappen dominantly leads the drivers' standings from Lando Norris with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc further behind in third place.

The more serious headache for Red Bull has been Verstappen's team-mate, Sergio Perez. Although the Mexican enjoyed a promising start to his 2024 F1 campaign, his pace faded after the opening races.

Despite the Mexican's struggles since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Red Bull has elected to extend Perez' contract by a further two years. However, it has since emerged that performance-related clauses can see the six-time F1 race winner lose his seat if he is unable to lift his performance.

Speaking to Viaplay, Red Bull's motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko said that Perez’s contract extension was partly influenced by “the Verstappens”.

“He is Max (Verstappen)’s teammate, and has managed to stay upright for a few years now. We wanted stability and they work well together. And I have already said that the Verstappens are not easy.”

“They (Max and Jos) wouldn’t have agreed with every teammate."

The Austrian insisted that Red Bull provides Verstappen and Perez with the same technical package, and he went a step further by claiming that the Dutchman would beat any other driver on the grid due to his talent.

“Max wants a nice environment in which he can work. He and Perez are equal on the technical side. Sergio doesn’t dream of the title anymore.

“And it doesn’t matter who sits next to Max, they will all be beaten anyway," Marko insisted.