Marko refuses to designate Verstappen as the number one driver at Red Bull
With a 57-point gap between its drivers, Red Bull could be tempted to establish a hierarchy between Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. However, according to their sports director, this will not be the case.
Leading both championships, Red Bull has had an excellent first half of the season. Whether it’s among the drivers or the constructors, the Austrian team has a comfortable cushion to face the French Grand Prix, which takes place this weekend at the Castellet circuit.
Helmut Marko, the sports director of the Austrian team, is satisfied with his team’s performances. We have once again designed the best car possible this season. The only negative point is that we encountered reliability issues at the beginning of the year.
It is true that despite two retirements in Bahrain and Australia, Verstappen has a 38-point lead over his rival from Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, and a 57-point lead over his teammate Sergio Pérez. Despite this significant advantage within the team, Marko refuses to designate the Dutch driver as the team leader.
By principle, we do not designate a first driver. But it must also be said that nobody can threaten Max over the course of a season. He has clearly become calmer. He manages the tires better and no longer feels obligated to win at all costs.
Even though he is not officially the team’s first driver, Verstappen still seems to receive special attention at Red Bull, thanks in particular to his performances and his championship title won last season.
