As is well known, Max Verstappen can already secure his second world title next Sunday in Singapore. If it were up to Red Bull Motorsport Director Dr. Helmut Marko, the Formula 1 superstar could wait a little longer with the title decision.
In an interview on the Austrian TV station “ORF“The Red Bull consultant explained why he wouldn’t have anything against a World Championship decision only a week later in Suzuka.
“From a marketing point of view, winning the title would be better in Japan because of our engine partner Honda,” said the 79-year-old, who has already celebrated twelve outstanding wins this season with his Red Bull team. Max Verstappen has already won the race eleven times this year, and team-mate Sergio Pérez won Monaco in May of this year.
Marko no longer has any doubts that defending champion Verstappen will achieve his second drivers’ world championship this year: “In general, we can assume that Max will become world champion. It’s just a question of when.”
Compared to last season, when Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton fought a bitter fight including several violent accidents for the world championship crown, the Dutchman and his Austro-British team seem to dominate Formula 1 at will.
Verstappen was last in his own league in Formula 1
After a bad start with two retirements in the first three races, Verstappen had an outstanding season and was in a league of his own most recently at Spa, Zandvoort and Monza.
“Our car got better and better, Ferrari, on the other hand, had technical defects, and there were also driving errors, and so over time the gap has become a comfortable lead for us,” Marko summarized the 2022 Formula 1 year by saying At the end of the season there can only be one world champion: his long-time protégé Max Verstappen.
Last but not least, the fact that the 24-year-old will win his second world championship title in a superior manner benefits the driver’s mood. Red Bull boss Marko revealed in the TV interview: “Compared to last year, it’s an incredibly comfortable feeling. Max also said, something like in the last six to eight races in 2021 like against Lewis Hamilton, he can’t stand it forever.”