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Race winner and 2021 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates with Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
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Race winner and 2021 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrates with Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
It came as a shock to many when Red Bull announced their engine partnership with the Japanese manufacturer, Honda, in 2019. This is because Honda had just walked out of McLaren after a horrendous stint featuring extensive non-scoring streaks and frequent DNFs.
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However, despite the serious concerns, Red Bull and Honda defied the odds to deliver an ecstatic three-year partnership, with a world championship title from their latest season.
What’s more, despite the latter’s unfortunate F1 exit, the duo seem to be working in tandem over securing the future of the Milton Keynes Outfit. So, having embraced successes with both Renault and Honda, which do Red Bull think is their best choice?
Well, Dr. Helmut Marko has the answer. The Austrian, without much hesitation, pointed his finger at Honda.
What did the Red Bull advisor say?
As reported by Motorsport, Marko confessed that the entire unit of Red Bull knew Renault was no longer capable of helping them win titles in F1. Henceforth, the Raging Bulls called up Honda for a potential engine deal that eventually worked out perfectly.
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Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB12 TAG Heuer leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO7 Mercedes PU106C Hybrid turbo on track during the Formula One Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
And, well, what followed was glory for the duo! After two seasons of steady improvement, The four-time world champions managed to pull themselves up to the level of Mercedes, as they ultimately defeated the ever-dominant Lewis Hamilton.
“We knew for sure that we were not going to win championships with the Renault engine,” he told Autorevue. “But Max always stood behind our team no matter what. Even when we started racing with Honda, we always kept him fully informed of our plans. He was always up to date with the latest developments.”
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Another Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry on cards?
Marko further opened up about the prospects of beating Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes for a second straight season in 2022.
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Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing speaks with third-placed qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“I think we are on the right track and we can fight for the title again. As always, I think our main competitor will be Mercedes,” he added.
Overall, Marko seems optimistic that Verstappen could yet again go after his competitor, Hamilton, this year. But, the question is, will the seven-time world champion put up an even tougher fight against his arch-rival this time around?
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