Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko claims Max Verstappen fired an 11-word warning to his rival Formula 1 drivers at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix last weekend.
The 26-year-old sealed his third win of the year already at Suzuka on Sunday from his fourth pole position yet. Verstappen has topped qualifying at each of the early rounds as he chases a fourth consecutive championship. He now holds 57 career wins plus 36 poles in Formula 1.
His third-straight victory at Suzuka also stretched Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ standings to 13 points. Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc sat just four points behind the Dutchman following the Australian GP, where Carlos Sainz won after an early brake issue made Verstappen retire.
Max Verstappen has won 20 of the past 22 rounds after the 2024 Japanese GP
Red Bull enjoying a one-two at the Japanese GP also thrust Sergio Perez back into second in the drivers’ championship. The 34-year-old had sat second to Verstappen after round four in 2023 but by six points. It was then in round five that Verstappen’s title bid hit a higher level.
Verstappen has now won 20 of the past 22 Grand Prix since Perez secured his last win at the 2023 Azerbaijan GP. Only Ferrari exile Sainz at the 2023 Singapore GP and the Australian GP in 2024 has denied Verstappen a Grand Prix victory since Perez won in round four last year.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth and girlfriend to height
Perez further came home 12.535 seconds behind Verstappen at the Japanese GP on Sunday to secure Red Bull’s one-two finish. Sainz was the best of the rest with third a further 8.331s behind the Mexican. Yuki Tsunoda also scored the last point in P10 a lap behind Verstappen.
Helmut Marko feels Red Bull star Max Verstappen fired an 11-word warning to the F1 field
Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko has now praised Verstappen, whilst speaking with OE24, for ‘making the difference’ to Perez, ‘again’. The Dutchman also held a 22.457s lead over his teammate at the Bahrain GP and a 13.643s gap via Perez’s penalty at the Saudi Arabian GP.
Marko also feels Verstappen fired a warning to the rest of the F1 field at the Japanese GP by setting the fastest lap of the race on Lap 50 of 53. He lapped Suzuka in 1:33.706 on 16-lap old hard tyres to beat Leclerc’s 1:33.841, which he posted on L46 with 20-lap old hard tyres.
Marko said: “We have a good car but then Max makes the difference, again. Everything was clear in Suzuka but then Max drove this incredible fastest lap on worn tyres. Not for fun and games but to get his message across, ‘Hello, the rest of you are only there to come second’.”
The post ‘Get his message across’: Marko feels Verstappen fired warning to F1 rivals at Japanese GP appeared first on F1 Oversteer.