Max Verstappen is a "time bomb" that could explode if Red Bull doesn't fix their current problems soon, Helmut Marko admits.
The reigning champion has been battling Charles Leclerc for victory in the opening three races, but only has one win to his name in Saudi Arabia in between two retirements.
As a result, Verstappen, who is 47 points behind the Ferrari driver, is already sounding pessimistic about his title hopes this season, and Marko knows his patience won't last long.
“He is an emotional and passionate driver who will always give his opinion," he told Austrian broadcaster ORF.
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"In my view, he is a lot calmer, calmer than in the past, but if we don’t win again soon, then he is indeed a time bomb!”
Both of Verstappen's retirements have been due to fuel system problems, with his DNF in Australia caused by damage to the fuel line possibly as a result of porpoising.
However, the Red Bull advisor is confident solutions are in place for Imola and beyond.
"We had to take a lot of punishment and we are now well behind Leclerc, however, we have dealt with things quickly,” Marko said.
“The problems we had in Bahrain were different to the problems we had in Australia and also different to the problems we had during the winter tests. But according to Honda, we can count on the problems being fixed before the next race.”
As for Max himself, he simply wants a "straightforward" weekend in Italy but admits there are no guarantees.
“They are a bit unexpected because testing was very smooth for us before we started the first race of the season," he said of the reliability problems via RaceFans.
“It’s been different issues, so we have been solving them, but of course, time will tell if it’s working or not.
“It’s difficult to say at the moment, but I know that the team always does their very best in solving all the issues.”
