When asked about the best driver duo in Formula 1 at the moment, Red Bull’s Head of Sport Helmut Marko is surprised because he does not nominate his own drivers
The question of the best drivers is probably as old as motorsport itself, but it is always a topic of conversation. Now a statement made by Red Bull Sport boss Helmut Marko in the Journal de Montreal is making waves in the Formula 1 paddock
Because Marko was asked on the sidelines of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal: “Who do you think is currently the best driver duo in Formula 1?”
Marko answered simply: “Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren.” And he explains his answer as follows: “They are young and hungry for success. They are currently getting along well and working well together.”
The really exciting thing about this statement, however, is what Marko does not say: he does not name his own Red Bull (or Racing Bulls) drivers, even though he has the current world champion Max Verstappen in his ranks and has just signed a two-year contract extension with Sergio Perez.
It is therefore open to interpretation: Marko is not really convinced by Perez. At the very least, he does not consider him to be an absolute top driver, but at most a solid number two. Otherwise he could have nominated his Red Bull drivers as the best duo
Marko is a fan of Lando Norris
Marko’s interest in Norris, on the other hand, is well documented. “He would be a candidate for us,” Marko said on ServusTV last year, even before Norris had decided to stay with McLaren.
Red Bull had even tried to get Norris much earlier – and made the Briton a concrete offer: they had already “agreed on a deal” for a place at Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls), but “it didn’t work out”, says Marko, because existing McLaren options would have prevented a move to the Red Bull camp.
Perez’ standing with Red Bull
So if Norris is a declared dream driver of Marko and is ennobled together with Piastri as the “best driver duo in Formula 1”, what does that say in reverse about Perez’s standing at Red Bull?
Marko also answered this question last year: Perez is basically doing a good job. At Red Bull, “no one has yet been able to compete with Max Verstappen in the second car” and Perez is “already the best” of Verstappen’s team-mates to date because he “occasionally takes victories”, said Marko.
What’s more: in 2023, Red Bull achieved a “double victory” in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings for the first time ever. Perez, who finished second in the championship, actively helped to fulfill Marko’s heart’s desire
