Helmut Marko: “Nobody believed” in Max Verstappen’s podium comeback in Mexico
“Nobody believed it. But I told Max that morning to think positively. And then we saw what was possible.”
Helmut Marko has admitted Red Bull as a team doubted whether Max Verstappen could recover to finish on the podium at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Verstappen finished third in Sunday’s race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez after an impressive second stint on soft tyres.
The Dutchman struggled in the early phase of the race, losing a considerable amount of time following an incident with Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen came alive in the second half of the race, sticking to a one-stop strategy that allowed him to jump Ollie Bearman, Oscar Piastri and the two Mercedes drivers.
Speaking after the race, Marko revealed that he was the “only one who thought positively” about Verstappen’s chances in Mexico City.
“I was the only one who thought positively,” Marko said. “Nobody wanted to bet with me.
“Nobody believed it. But I told Max that morning to think positively. And then we saw what was possible.”
Verstappen could have beaten Charles Leclerc to second had it not been for a Virtual Safety Car at the end of the race.
The FIA had to defend their decision to deploy a VSC after Carlos Sainz’s stricken Williams appeared to be well away from the racing line.
Marko was surprised that Verstappen’s pace on the softs didn’t drop off as the stint progressed.
“Max delivered this incredible stint. He was really pushing the limits, but at the same time kept the tyres alive,” Marko added.
“I was always worried that the tyres would fail. But he more or less ran his 1:21.2s lap after lap, always within half a tenth of a second. That’s just Verstappen.”
Verstappen’s title chances
With four rounds to go, Verstappen is 36 points behind Lando Norris.
Norris stormed to a dominant victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix, winning by over 30 seconds.
By his own admission, Verstappen believes he will have to win all four of the remaining races to have a shot at the title.
Brazil will likely favour McLaren, especially if conditions are hot.
Las Vegas should suit Mercedes, and potentially Verstappen.
George Russell dominated the race last year, and the cool temperatures should work against McLaren.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi should suit both McLaren and Verstappen, but the hotter temperatures could give the papaya team an advantage on race day.
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