Max Verstappen didn't commit 'a single or even the smallest mistake' under pressure at 2022 F1 Canadian GP, says Red Bull chief

Max Verstappen was faultless in his pursuit of victory at the 2022 F1 Canadian GP, according to Dr. Helmut Marko.

Marko is a retired driver now working as an advisor for Red Bull while also helming their illustrious junior driver program. The Austrian was the man to give Verstappen his big break in F1 as a teenager with Scuderia Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) back in 2015.

The Dutchman picked up his sixth win in nine rounds of the ongoing season, fending off a late charge from Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to cross the line as the winner for the first time at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Marko praised Max Verstappen's drive under pressure in Montréal, calling it even better than his maiden win back at the 2016 F1 Spanish GP in an interview with Autosport. He said:

“It was unbelievable for me; not making a single or even the smallest mistake under that kind of pressure. There were about the similar amount of laps to go. But at that time, Max [Verstappen] wasn’t as experienced as he is now, and I think the Ferrari in Barcelona 2016 wasn’t as fast as it was now. Especially in sector two [in Montréal], the Ferrari was much quicker than us. But fortunately, he managed it. [Carlos] Sainz had two or three small mistakes at the hairpin, but to stay that cool under huge pressure is really impressive to me.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner feels all the pressure and experience has molded Verstappen into a more complete driver. During the same interview, the 48-year-old said:

“He drove some amazing races last year under massive pressure. You think of races like Austin and so on. I think he’s just so good under pressure. We’ve seen it so many times this year: Miami, Baku, etc. He’s just got more experience and he’s a very complete driver.”

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"Things change quickly in F1" - Max Verstappen cannot take 2022 F1 title challenge for granted, feels David Coulthard

Max Verstappen does not have the 2022 F1 World Championship tied up just yet, according to former driver-turned-television analyst David Coulthard.

Following two DNFs in the first three races of the season, the 24-year-old has been on a roll with five wins and six podiums in all races since the 2022 F1 Australian GP.

This run of good form, coupled with Ferrari's shortcomings that have hamstrung Charles Leclerc to an extent, has helped the Dutchman build up a formidable lead in the World Drivers' Championship standings.

The successful defense of Verstappen's 2021 championship, however, is far from a forgone conclusion, according to Coulthard. Speaking to the media in the build-up to the 2022 F1 British GP, the Briton said:

“I don’t, I really don’t I think that, you know, Ferrari, if they hadn’t had those two non-finishes, then it would have made a big difference. I think things change quickly in Formula 1. I think that the Ferrari is still fundamentally a fast car, which has obviously got reliability issues. And you know, we saw again, [Sergio] Perez had reliability issues on the [2022 F1 Canadian GP] weekend. So you know, let’s see how the season plays out. But, you know, he’s [Verstappen] on a roll, there’s no question. He’s driving beautifully. But Carlos Sainz looked pretty quick on the weekend, maybe if that had been Charles [Leclerc] up there, maybe he would have had a go, who knows.”

Heading into the 2022 F1 British GP this weekend, Max Verstappen leads the World Drivers' Championship standings with 175 points after nine rounds of racing.