Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko reckons Max Verstappen could start getting impatient with the team if they do not resolve the reliability issues.
The Austrian revealed that the Dutchman is much calmer than he was before, but winning is going to be key to sustaining his patience.
He also revealed that their car setup does not suit Verstappen’s driving style, which makes his teammate Sergio Perez look closer to him in performance.
Speaking to Australian broadcaster ORF, Marko said:
“With the set-up of the car, you sometimes lack the confidence to maintain his extreme driving style. You can see that this makes Checo closer to him than in the past. If we don’t win again soon, then he is indeed a time bomb.” Gutted. Very frustrating to end another race like this as we were looking at an easy P2 
Congrats to @SChecoPerez on scoring another podium. 
We have to work hard the coming days to get on top of things and improve for Imola. https://t.co/6hEUlkvwZK
Max Verstappen signed a historic five-year deal to stay with the Red Bull team until the end of the 2028 season. However, Marko believes the team’s misfortunes could make him impatient.
While Verstappen vented his frustration after his retirement from the Australian race, he is currently sixth in the championship standings.
The reason for his retirement was reported to be a fuel leak, but Red Bull will have to get ahead of the problem for the reigning champion to defend his title.
Helmut Marko reckons Max Verstappen is a calmer driver than he was in the past
Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen is a calmer driver than he was in the past, especially after the Australian GP retirement.
According to him, Verstappen was aware of his chances of retiring from the race after qualifying and did not have an impulsive reaction.
Commenting on the Dutchman’s mindset after his retirement in Australia, Marko said:
“Hey [Max Verstappen] is a lot calmer. After his retirement [in Australia], he returned to the pit box and we discussed things calmly. However, in this case, we knew we could run into that problem, because we also had to deal with that in qualifying, so it didn’t come out of the blue in that regard.” “He is an emotional and passionate driver who will always give his opinion. But, in my view, he is a lot calmer – calmer than in the past.”
With two retirements in three races, Red Bull have the uphill task of resolving their reliability issues by the Imola GP if they wish to stop Charles Leclerc from winning.
The team are currently third in the Constructor’s championship and need more consistency in their performances to sustain themselves through the next 20 rounds.
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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
