Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko draws a parallel to 2009 in the World Cup fight: Is Max Verstappen doing like Jenson Button once did in the Brawn?
In the Formula 1 World Championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko is hoping for a turnaround after the multi-week break in the premier class. Before the upcoming race weekend in Austin, Red Bull driver Verstappen still has a lead of 52 points, but according to the latest findings, McLaren’s performance advantage now seems so great that a turnaround in the drivers’ championship can no longer be ruled out.
For Marko, the 2024 season is like the one 15 years ago, but with the opposite outcome for Red Bull. In 2009, Jenson Button won six of the first seven races in the Brawn, which can be compared to Verstappen’s winning streak at the beginning of this year’s season. However, Button did not add another victory in the last ten Grands Prix, and he only made it to the podium twice.
Nevertheless, he was able to win the title, although Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull caught up dramatically during the season. 15 years later, this is Lando Norris in the McLaren. “You can compare that,” said Marko in an interview with oe24 when asked about the parallel between 2024 and 2009. “Back then, we as a team weren’t mature enough to win the championship. It’s a similar situation for McLaren now, although they recently had the best car and a strong driver pairing with Norris and Piastri.”
Marko: Norris not on the same level as Verstappen
After Red Bull seems to have clearly lost out in the 2024 development race so far, Marko is relying primarily on the Verstappen factor. The Dutchman has already shown in the past that he can handle the increasing pressure in the season’s final sprint, while McLaren driver Norris, in addition to his strong pace, has repeatedly attracted attention with his own mistakes.
“Mentally and in terms of driving, he is the best,” said Marko about Verstappen. ‘Norris has a weakness at the start, and he is not the strongest mentally. The pressure is increasing with every race because, in reality, he has to win every time to catch up. Max has an easier time defending. And with Austin and a week later in Mexico, there are now two tracks that suit him really well.’
Upadtes at Red Bull as a turning point in the World Cup fight?
In addition, Red Bull had enough time after the Singapore Grand Prix to thoroughly and thoroughly analyze the car’s problems. A new update is to be installed in Austin, which should make the RB20 more competitive again. “We can’t ignore a certain upward trend. However, I have to admit: We’ve recently had the same problems as Ferrari and Mercedes,” says the Austrian.
“One day we’re good, the next day we’re not, although we don’t know why that is. McLaren is consistently fast. They just waited too long to clearly commit to Norris. He is still far behind Max, who we now hope will have a car that he has more confidence in. Our engineers have new parts and are optimistic.”
