Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has never been one to lag behind and his latest predictions are bolder than ever. Max Verstappen will beat Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Even if Ferrari gives the Briton a dough car.
As Hamilton embarks on his most prolific debut season with the Scuderia, fulfilling a lifelong dream of donning the Red, Marko is defying any scenario in which Verstappen is not the king of Formula 1 at the end of the upcoming season.
speaking sports Build, Austria explained his confidence. “We would put our money on Max even if he had a good Ferrari and we would build a mediocre Red Bull for Max.”
No driver compares to Max
Nonetheless, Marko acknowledged McLaren and Ferrari’s impressive performances in 2024.
“Both race teams had the best base for their cars last season and were able to perform well on most circuits.”
Marko said: “Charles Leclerc is good in qualifying, but he makes a lot of mistakes in the race.
“And Lewis Hamilton still has the pace, but can he maintain it all season? I have my doubts about that.”
Marko’s confidence in Verstappen is unwavering.
“Max is the best in Formula 1, not just for being the fastest, but for the whole package,” he said. “He gets 0.1 to 0.2 seconds out of the car per lap that other drivers don’t get.”
Red Bull needs improvement
The 81-year-old acknowledged the need for improvement, at least within Red Bull Racing, recognizing that the RB20 was ultimately outmatched by McLaren’s MCL38 in certain areas last season.
“Now it’s up to us to build him a car that can drive him to victory not just temporarily, but constantly,” Marko said. “Our operating window has to get bigger and bigger.”
Verstappen’s continued determination to pursue excellence and win will undoubtedly make him a formidable opponent.
But Ferrari (and certainly McLaren) will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.
