Red Bull director Helmut Marko has shared what Max Verstappen told him after retiring from the Australian Grand Prix last weekend.
Verstappen only made it to lap four of the race in Melbourne before he had to retire with brake issues.
And via Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Marko has now relayed the Dutchman’s take on the speed of rivals Ferrari.
The three-time world champion was gunning for a 10th consecutive victory and had snatched pole position after Carlos Sainz topped Q1 and Q2.
Sainz overtook him on the second lap of the race with the aid of DRS after Verstappen’s rear-brake problem caused him to slide.
When the Dutchman retired, Sainz was able to cruise to a comfortable victory ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen’s Red Bull partner Sergio Perez had to settle for fifth after picking up a visor tear-off that compromised his car’s aerodynamic performance.
Leclerc is now just four points behind Verstappen in the championship, but it remains to be seen how consistently Ferrari can compete for race victories.
Helmut Marko shares confident Max Verstappen take after Australian GP
While Red Bull still need to investigate the root cause of Verstappen’s issue, Marko said his star driver was still feeling bullish.
He believed that he could have matched Sainz’s pace before the problem worsened.
There’s a feeling that the Bulls’ relative struggles were purely circuit-specific, and that Verstappen will produce an emphatic response next time out at the Japanese Grand Prix.
“We have to find out why those bloody brakes gave up,” he said.
“Max was confident. He said he could have kept up with Sainz even with those problems. That’s positive.
“I think the problems also have purely to do with this circuit. It’s nothing special.
“I expect Max to dominate Suzuka again in two weeks.”
Will Max Verstappen leave Red Bull?
Verstappen may be under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but his future isn’t entirely certain.
In a fresh development, he’s apparently ‘increasingly likely’ to join rivals Mercedes for 2025.
The Silver Arrows are, of course, looking for a replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
There are already suggestions that Christian Horner and Red Bull are lining up some possible replacements.
The team principal is allegedly ready to bring Williams driver Alex Albon back to the team with the backing of their Thai investors.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, the youngest in the current field, has also emerged as a target for the Milton Keynes outfit.
Reports elsewhere claim Sainz, who made his F1 debut with junior team Toro Rosso back in 2015, is the ‘top candidate’ for any potential vacancy.
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