Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has admitted he laughed when McLaren urged Lando Norris to attack Max Verstappen during Formula 1‘s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The race began with Verstappen sweeping past pole-sitter Norris, who ran too deep into Turn 1, allowing both the Dutchman and George Russell through.
Russell attacked early but pitted on Lap 17. Norris followed on Lap 22, and Verstappen extended his opening stint to Lap 25 without losing control of the race.
Fresh tyres ignited Norris’ pace. He reeled in Russell and overtook the Mercedes with 16 laps left. McLaren then sent the bold radio call: “We’re going to get Max.”
Verstappen received the message from his own pit wall – and answered instantly. He punched in the fastest lap and stretched the gap to more than 20 seconds.
“He was able to easily maintain the pace of those behind him and therefore save the tyres,” Marko told Sky Sports Germany. “We also stayed out longer than everyone else.
“Of course, we knew the condition of the competitors’ tyres and the funniest thing was the message that came from McLaren: ‘Attack Max, overtake him.’
“And then he hammered in one fastest lap after another, just to make things clear. But he did it with such confidence and ease. We had no problems at all.”
Marko added that Verstappen effectively sealed the win within seconds of the lights going out.
“From the first lap… I wouldn’t say [Max] won the start. He won the first corner and practically forced Norris into the mistake,” he asserted.
Verstappen ‘better than everything we have seen’
McLaren’s double disqualification following the race reshaped the points, leaving Norris still ahead but only by 24 points with two rounds remaining.
Verstappen is now level with Oscar Piastri for second place in the standings – an impressive swing considering McLaren’s early-season dominance.
Verstappen has claimed four victories in the last seven races, giving him a realistic shot at the title as the championship heads to Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
“In terms of driving and what he does, I think he’s as good or better than everything we have seen,” Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies told media including Motorsport Week.
“Now that he’s able to fight again for the win, he does masterclass after masterclass.”
Red Bull remains cautious, though, with Mekies outlining that the team’s approach will remain unchanged despite the gap being the closest it has been since May.
“We do what we always said we were doing: we take it race by race,” the Frenchman added.
“A win is a win. It’s easy to forget how difficult it is to win… You cannot imagine a more different situation in Qatar compared to Vegas, so we will reset and try to nail the weekend again.”
READ MORE – Red Bull hails Max Verstappen ‘masterclass’ in F1 Las Vegas GP
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