“Nobody can imitate the way he managed the tyres” - Max Verstappen receives high praise from Red Bull taskmaster 

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has lauded Max Verstappen for a dominant display at the 2023 Miami GP.

The Dutchman started from ninth after being unable to complete his flying lap in qualifying. However, he dominated the field, overtaking multiple cars to reach the front. In the process, he also passed his teammate Sergio Perez to win the race.

Speaking to oe24.at, Marko said that although Perez is better on certain street circuits, Verstappen was fiesty in Miami. Marko praised how the reigning two-time world champion managed his tyres to get the fastest lap of the race towards the end:

"That was always clear. Checo has certain street circuits like Baku where he's really strong. But in Miami, Max gave everyone a lesson. Nobody can imitate the way he managed the tyres so that the fastest lap was still possible at the end."

When asked about the double overtake Max Verstappen pulled on Kevin Magnussen and Charles Leclerc during the race, the praise kept coming from Red Bull's taskmaster. Helmut Marko said:

"That was a Max demonstration of how he overtook Magnussen and Leclerc, a feast for the eyes."

Max Verstappen leads the drivers' championship table with 119 points. Sergio Perez closely follows his teammate in second place with 105. The Dutchman's dominant performance in Miami has once again solidified his place at the top and boosted his chances of winning his third straight world title.

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Max Verstappen not affected by fans booing him

Max Verstappen said that he's not affected by fans booing him whenever he wins or stands on the podium.

He understands that not all fans love a driver dominating the sport. The Dutchman said after the 2023 Miami GP:

“I think if I would be driving in the back, nobody would be even doing anything in terms of reaction, right? I think it’s normal when you are winning, and they don’t like who is winning.

"So this is something for me, which is absolutely fine as long I stand on the top that’s for me, the most important. I take the trophy home, and they go back to their houses, and they can have a nice evening.”

With Red Bull dominating, it's clear that Verstappen won't have all fans on his side. There are many who remember the 2021 season and do not accept the Dutchman as a world champion, while others do not like his on- and off-track conduct.