UPDATES: Max Verstappen reflects on his hazardous decision to disregard Helmut Marko’s early-morning calls.
As a Red Bull junior, Max Verstappen disclosed that he used to disregard Helmut Marko’s early morning calls in order to get some sleep. However, he doesn’t believe that irritated him—quite the contrary.
With his extraordinary dominance in F1 2023—winning 19 of the 22 grand prix held—Verstappen has joined Sebastian Vettel as a multi-time World Champion success story of the Red Bull Junior Team.
Verstappen, who has never shied away from taking charge and making his own decisions, went back in time to his Red Bull junior days to discover that the program director, the tough Helmut Marko, was already aware of this.
Max Verstappen slept through calls from Helmut Marko.
Not many Red Bull youngsters would take the chance of offending Marko by using unethical methods, but a young Verstappen did not really care. Marko is not someone who accepts underperformance or excuses.
The Dutchman described how he used to ignore Marko’s early morning calls and then call him back when he was ready to get up. But with time, he thinks Marko came to appreciate this overt demonstration of drawing “boundaries.”
According to Verstappen, “I just didn’t answer,” Motorsport-Magazin.com. “I told myself I was still asleep and I wasn’t going to answer the phone at that hour. After that, I just gave him a call back at 10:00 a.m. or whenever.
“At some point, I think he understood that I wouldn’t answer his calls at 7.30 or 8.00 am either. I think he also likes that in a way, because you’ve set your boundaries and he’s the same.”
Verstappen notes that their relationship is “very honest, very straightforward, very open,” indicating that he and Marko take similar approaches.
Verstappen further on his relationship with Marko, saying, “That’s how I’ve approached my entire career anyway: If it’s sh*t, it’s sh*t and if it’s good, it’s good.” Nothing exists in the meantime. Either it’s good or it’s sh*t.
Verstappen also made it apparent that Marko, who has led Red Bull Racing’s young driver program and served as a senior advisor since the team’s founding, is “important for the team” by highlighting a specific brilliant move performed by the Austrian.
After their McLaren reunion collapsed at the end of 2017 due to subpar performance, engine maker Honda found itself in a difficult situation. However, Red Bull provided them with a lifeline by teaming up with their junior squad for 2018.
In 2019, that agreement was extended to the Red Bull main team. Since then, Honda has helped Verstappen win three World Championships and Red Bull win two Constructors’ crowns.
“It was an incredible decision by Helmut to switch to Honda,” Verstappen declared.
“I don’t think everyone was convinced at the time. But fortunately it is now paying off.”
Red Bull is preparing their RB20 for the F1 2024 competition, hoping to surpass the high standards for success set by Max Verstappen while driving the RB19. The F1 paddock waits in anticipation.
