Now Marko is speaking

Is Max really quitting? “You have to take him seriously”

Does Verstappen (left) really want to quit? Marko hopes not.(Bild: AFP/APA/Andrej ISAKOVIC)

Is Max Verstappen really serious about his threatened retirement? "You have to take him seriously," says Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko in an interview with "formel1.de".

Verstappen has "achieved a great deal", says Marko: "It is important for him to have fun and enjoy the whole sport. And if that is spoiled for him, then he means it."

"Two different standards"
Marko also identifies "double standards" with which the FIA measures. While Verstappen was warned and even convicted for subtle swearing, Haas team boss Günther Steiner, for example, has mutated into a cult figure for similar expressions via a Netflix series. And: "Max wasn't swearing at a person, he was referring to his own car," clarifies Marko.

The background: because he put the Red Bull car "in the a..." in qualifying in Baku, serial world champion Verstappen received a reprimand from the FIA. The language was not compatible with his status as a role model. Max was sentenced to community service. The convicted driver reacted defiantly. For example, he only gave monosyllabic, weak answers at a press conference to illustrate his displeasure.

"I hope not"
He was even more blunt later on. He did not even rule out his retirement. Racing is no fun like this. "Formula 1 will go on without me," hissed the Dutchman. His thoughts cannot be completely dismissed, said Marko: "But I don't hope that the current situation will really cause him to retire any time soon."