Helmut Marko makes an interesting Max Verstappen claim as comparisons drawn with Sebastian Vettel 

Red Bull's Helmut Marko felt that Max Verstappen has surpassed every driver who raced for the team. The Austrian team has been a powerhouse of talent ever since it became a part of the team in 2005. It all began with race winner David Coulthard in the ranks, who was followed by Mark Webber.

The first homegrown talent was Sebastian Vettel, who ended up becoming a 4-time world champion and began a lineage of some impressive drivers, including Daniel Ricciardo, Daniil Kvyat, and others. After Vettel, however, Max Verstappen has taken over the championship-winning baton.

Once Vettel left in 2014, Red Bull would find a new talent in Max Verstappen, who joined the team in 2016 and won his first race. After his first championship triumph in 2021, Verstappen has gone on to win three more titles and is level with Vettel on four titles.

Talking to BBC's The Inside Track, Helmut Marko paid tribute to the Dutch driver, as he claimed that Max Verstappen was the best Red Bull has had. He said:

“He definitely is the best driver we have ever had. He’s developing, developing [all the time] and in Imola, his third corner overtake was unbelievable. I don't see the end of his progress yet. He always comes with something extra."

He added:

“Last year the race in Brazil in the wet, from 17th to first - he’s getting faster with less risk and more calm. He does not have to push every lap, he is really relaxed, but he's not pushing, or it doesn’t look like he's on the limit. But when it matters, he delivers.”

"He is still developing": Helmut Marko on Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is considered the benchmark in F1 in terms of the job that he's done on the track and the level at which he performs. The driver is placed on a pedestal above almost every driver right now, as he hardly ever makes mistakes.

Marko, however, felt that Verstappen was not done improving and there were still some levels to go before we see his peak. He said:

“He's still developing - but one thing already in the beginning, he doesn't need any warm-up or knowledge. If it's wet, he goes out and he's two or three seconds ahead of the others, and then it takes them three or four laps, and they can match Max's time."

He added:

“That is one of his really [big] strengths. After we lost the race in Singapore [in 2023], we went to Suzuka, and his first lap, I can't remember how much he was in front, but it was immense.”

The 2025 title fight, however, has not been kind to Max, as the uncompetitive Red Bull has led to the driver 49 points behind Oscar Piastri in the championship, making it almost impossible to overhaul that gap.