Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko does think Max Verstappen could pressure Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton in this year’s championship.
Though the Briton won seven of the first 11 races and leads Max by 63 points in the championship, that gap has come down by a quarter in just the past three alone thanks to two victories in Austria and Germany.
Verstappen’s success at Hockenheim also so him claim his first win in the wet, ending a run of success in the rain for Hamilton that stretched back to 2014.
Also Read:
- Horner still relaxed over Verstappen future as Hockenheim praise continues
- ‘Phenomenal’ Verstappen would be ahead of Hamilton at Mercedes – Rosberg
- Red Bull hail ‘unbelievable’ Verstappen in Hockenheim
“Max drove sensationally again,” Marko told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.
“The way he recovered from his spin, that was Senna-style. When he had a clear track, he was world’s faster than anyone else.
“Also, our pit stops were optimal, we just made a mistake when we pulled out the medium tyres on the second stop, but that was understandable given the hectic rush.”
All the signs are positive for Red Bull right now too as this weekend they will likely challenge Mercedes again in Hungary, then, after the summer, big things are expected from a Honda engine upgrade at Monza.
Therefore, Marko does still think Verstappen could have a say in this year’s championship fight against Hamilton.
“I would not rule it out,” he said. “Max has proven he can overtake Mercedes and Ferrari on the track.
“In England, he could have finished second had he not been stuck behind Leclerc for so long and Hockenheim has shown that Mercedes can make mistakes if we can put pressure on them properly.”