Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen has ramped up the pressure on the McLaren drivers after Formula 1‘s United States Grand Prix.
Verstappen clinched a dominant 68th win of his F1 career at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.
After the winning the Sprint Race from pole, the four-time F1 champion led from lights to flag during the 56-lap race to gain more points on the McLaren duo.
Heading into the final final five races, Verstappen now trails Oscar Piastri by 40 points, with the Australian retaining a 14-point advantage over Lando Norris.
Following the race, Verstappen finally dropped his hat into the title conversation once again, having been tentative about his chances throughout the season.
Marko has now also backed the Dutchman to realistically fight for a fifth consecutive title, but was adamant that the Milton-Keynes-based squad has been left with no margin for error.
“We have to win, so just eight points or three points isn’t enough, but let’s see,” Marko said.
“There are still some exciting races to come where the first corner is critical and Max drives easily.”
Marko suspects McLaren errors down to Verstappen pressure
McLaren, on the other hand, has had a series of disappointing results, exacerbated by ailing pit stops and mistakes creeping into Norris and Piastri’s performances.
A opening-lap melee at the beginning of the Sprint Race saw Piastri collect his team-mate and put an early end to their Saturday plans.
Marko claims that McLaren’s recent poor run of form is not a coincidence but a consequence of Verstappen’s resurgent run that has seen him bag three wins in the last four races.
“We clearly have something to lose, but the pressure isn’t on our side and that should also be an advantage,” he insisted.
“You can also see it in qualifying that Piastri is making mistakes. And yes, that’s good.”
READ MORE – The scenario where McLaren will prioritise a driver in F1 title race
Discussion about this post