Helmut Marko and Christian Horner about their world champions
Published on 23 December 2022 by Mike Motilall
During “Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7”, a television show on Austrian Servus TV, Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko and Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner talked about Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, both multiple world champions.
Dr. Helmut Marko is well known for speaking his mind. This was also the case during “Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7” end of year gala. The 79-year-old Graz resident was part of a prominent Formula 1-panel with the two world champions Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen and with Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner.
Le Mans-winner Marko summed up the obvious comparison between Vettel and Verstappen: “They both certainly have different characters. But what they both have in common is their determination to always want to do better. Sebastian is extremely analytical. He looked at every detail, asked questions and was insistent. With Max, you put him in the car and you just know that you’ll get 100 percent, always.”
“I know for sure that Max has a shorter temper. Like in Singapore in 2017, where, after a great start, he was briefly pressured by the two Ferraris and was out of the race.”
Christian Horner says: “The determination is extremely high with both guys. But we ultimately achieved the same result with both of them. Both were a pleasure to work with. And how young they were back then. I can still remember the braces on Seb’s teeth.”
Marko continues: “Red Bull started to promote Sebastian very early on. Seb was twelve or thirteen, and even then he didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Just like Seb, Max found it difficult to have another driver in front of him, that was already in Formula 3 the case. Luckily we were able to work with both of them and achieve great successes in a great environment.”
Marko gives Verstappen a wink as he shares a piece of advice in reference to Vettel’s career: “Think very carefully before going to Ferrari. It might not be the best.”
Horner adds to that: “Max is still so young. It is phenomenal how he has developed himself with the enormous amount of pressure. I think his best is still to come.”
