Max Verstappen is entering the penultimate race weekend of the Formula 1 season with a lead of eight points. The Dutchman can become champion in Saudi Arabia, but that is easier said than done. After all, the last two races were won by Lewis Hamilton, who hopes to continue on the same foot next weekend.
Despite the two losses in a row, Helmut Marko has hope for a good outcome in the streets of Saudi Arabia. “In Brazil we had no chance, but in Qatar we made a mistake with the set-up. Yet we are still ahead. Now we have to fight back in Jeddah. Max still has every chance,” he tells. OE24.
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Red Bull works around the clock
Logically, people don’t sit still in the Red Bull factory. To beat Hamilton and his mighty Mercedes car with a powerful Mercedes engine, the Austrian racing stable has to get the most out of it. “Believe me. Everyone works around the clock,” emphasizes advisor Marko.
“Max also trains in the simulator. He even has his own simulator at home. It makes no difference to him that he has not yet driven on the circuit there,” said the Austrian.
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Mercedes has already traveled to Saudi Arabia
Red Bull has not yet traveled to Saudi Arabia to already discover the circuit. Mercedes did, one can conclude from Marko’s exasperated response to the question whether his engineers have already been to the track.
“I’ll leave that to Toto Wolff and his friend Alex Wurz, who flew there together. But what would that mean for us? As far as I know, nothing is finished yet. There are still all kinds of construction vehicles driving around. minutes the track will be cleaned and Max only needs a few laps to get up to speed.”
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Verstappen can become champion
Finally, Marko is asked about the points difference and the fact that Max can already become champion this weekend. He doesn’t want to know about that. “Leave me alone with all your calculations! Or should I start again about those fifty points that Verstappen lost at the hands of others?”
One DNF, and the title fight is over. Whether that happens with Max or Lewis. “At Mercedes, Bottas is always the loser. Hamilton is never bothered by anything,” said the Austrian.
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Verstappen is certainly not without a chance against Hamilton
What can Verstappen do during the new Saudi Arabian GP? Will we get another dominant performance from Lewis Hamilton? And how is Red Bull vs. Mercedes further? This and much more in the RacingNews365 F1 podcast, with Tom Coronel, Ruud Dimmers and host Joris Mosterdijk.
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