Purple Bull’s Helmut Marko has by no means been one to carry again, and his newest prediction is as daring as ever: Max Verstappen will beat Lewis Hamilton in 2025 – even when Ferrari supplies the Briton with a batter automotive.
As Hamilton embarks on his much-hyped debut season with the Scuderia, fulfilling a lifelong dream of donning crimson, Marko is dismissive of any situation wherein Verstappen isn’t nonetheless the king of Components 1 on the finish of the upcoming season.
Chatting with Sport Bild, the Austrian outlined his confidence: “Even when he has Ferrari and we construct a mediocre Purple Bull for Max, I’d put my cash on Max.”
No Driver Compares to Max
Marko however acknowledged the spectacular performances of McLaren and Ferrari in 2024.
“The 2 race groups had one of the best base for his or her automobiles final season and had been in a position to carry out properly on most circuits.” Nonetheless, he dismissed their driver line-ups as missing the identical chew as Verstappen.
“Charles Leclerc is nice in qualifying however makes numerous errors within the races,” Marko declared, characteristically blunt.
“And Lewis Hamilton nonetheless has the pace, however can he maintain that up for an entire season? I’ve my doubts about that.”
Marko’s confidence in Verstappen is unshakeable.
“Max will not be solely the quickest, however one of the best in Components 1 from the general package deal,” he acknowledged. “He will get 0.1 to 0.2 seconds out of the automotive per lap that no different driver finds.”
Want for Enchancment at Purple Bull
The 81-year-old no less than acknowledged the necessity for enchancment inside Purple Bull Racing, recognizing that the RB20, whereas profitable, was in the end outmatched by McLaren’s MCL38 in sure areas final season.
“Now it’s as much as us to construct him a automotive that lets him not solely briefly, however consistently drive for victories,” Marko mentioned. “Our working window has to get greater.”
Verstappen’s relentless pursuit of excellence and his enduring dedication to win will undoubtedly make him a formidable opponent.
However Ferrari – and positively McLaren – will undoubtedly each be a pressure to be reckoned with in 2025.
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