How often have we seen Max Verstappen lose his head in 2023? Never, probably. A part of this is obviously because Red Bull‘s RB19 is a superior machinery that’s been bestowed upon the Dutch lion. However, a major part of Verstappen’s relaxed, almost nonchalant, disposition this year is because he knows how good he is. It’s not arrogance as much as it is self-belief. But are doubts starting to creep into the headspace of the reigning world champion?

With each passing race weekend, teams like McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari keep eating into the Bulls’ advantage. While there’s still a long way to go for them to catch the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, since the past few weekends, the story of Qualifying and the Race isn’t a foregone conclusion like it used to be. And according to team advisor and taskmaster, Helmut Marko, Verstappen may have initiated a battle in his head to be the undisputed best once again.

Helmut Marko defends Max Verstappen with a bizarre confession

The 2023 Belgian GP Qualifying gave us quite a show. But all the drama wasn’t happening on the race track alone. Verstappen’s radio waves caught up a pretty interesting and viral conversation between the Dutch lion and his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. In a nutshell, while Verstappen ranted on the radio about his Q2 strategy, GP shut the 25-year-old down, sounding a tad bit irritated.

Verstappen would’ve later realized that he was to blame for a sub-par Q2 as he slid out near ‘no-name’. But Marko came out later on to make a bizarre suggestion about his own driver’s outburst.

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Helmut told Sky Sports Germany as quoted by F1 Maximaal saying, “They had a disagreement about when they wanted to drive. That’s how Max is when he’s under pressure. He always wants the maximum possible, and that’s what makes him so competitive.” [translated via Google]

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With other teams quickly catching up to him and his RB19, Max Verstappen may have been tense given his ultra-competitiveness. But when it mattered, he was eight-tenths calmer and more decisive than the others!

Verstappen registers sensational Q3 effort

Throughout the session, Verstappen looked uncomfortable. But then he was thrust into the very final lap of Qualifying. And that’s where we saw him shine. After he crossed the finish line, he was a whopping 8 tenths clear of the second-fastest man, Charles Leclerc.

And while Marko may have admitted to Verstappen’s tensions. He did give him credit where credit was due. Marko continued, “On his second lap in Q3, Max went all out, which was an incredible demonstration.”

After a 5-place grid penalty for a new gearbox, Verstappen will start Sunday’s GP from 6th. How many laps before he claims P1 again?

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