(Motorsport-Total.com) – Max Verstappen is one race away from the next record: The Dutchman celebrated his eighth consecutive Grand Prix victory in the Formula 1 race in Spa-Francorchamps and only needs one more win at the home round in Zandvoort after the summer break (where he has a 100 percent win rate) to match Sebastian Vettel’s record.
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Max Verstappen celebrates victory in the Formula 1 race in Belgium 2023 Zoom
The weekend in Belgium was once again a dominating affair: first in qualifying, first in the shootout, first in the sprint and first in the race. He even made up for the penalty of five positions within 17 laps.
That makes Red Bulls motorsport consultant Helmut Marko rave: “The whole weekend was an incredible performance and, as you say, with ease and sovereignty,” he told ‘Sky’. “That already elevates Max to the greats of this sport.”
Statistically, no one should disagree with him. In many lists, Verstappen is at least far ahead, if not at the top – even though he’s still comparatively young. “You must not forget that he will be 26 on September 30th – or young, however you look at it. And there is actually no end in sight in the development,” says Marko.
“He finds the limit, he is incredibly careful with the tires. So we can only take our hats off to him. The whole team harmonizes and is flying high. We enjoy it and want to continue to have it,” he says. “I don’t know how far that will go.”
Maybe he should go without a front wing…
The question is: who can stop the Dutchman and how? “You could say that Max Verstappen has to drive on hard tires all weekend or without a front wing,” joked ex-driver Timo Glock on ‘Sky’. Otherwise there was simply no herb against him.
“He is very dominant in every respect and always finds new ways to push the limit. You have to see the whole team and the cooperation between Max and the team. Always perfection at its best, every pit stop fits. It’s an achievement , to which one must take one’s hat.”
In Spa, Red Bull was able to clinch a one-two for the first time since Miami, because Sergio Perez also finished second this time. For Marko it was a “superior performance from the whole team”, as he emphasizes. “So we are more than satisfied.”
Praise for Perez: “Very strong”
Perez was “very strong” throughout the weekend, which comes as no surprise to the Austrian: “We knew that he was one of the top drivers,” he emphasizes. “And to repeat again: Nobody looks good against Verstappen.”
Every driver would compete to win, “but you can’t do that against Max Verstappen”. And you have to deal with that psychologically.
Second place should give Perez a little more security, even if Marko has always emphasized that he sees no need for action. “He does his job very well and he has consolidated the number 2 in the World Cup. That fits,” he says.
2023-07-30 16:29:03
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