F1 News: Helmut Marko Hits Out At Ex-Red Bull Driver - 'Couldn't Accept Max Verstappen Was Faster'

Helmut Marko criticized former Red Bull driver Pierre Gasly for his inability to acknowledge Max Verstappen's superior speed.

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Helmut Marko of Red Bull Racing Team holds up the World Constructors' Champions trophy after the running of the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has openly criticized former team driver Pierre Gasly for his inability to acknowledge teammate Max Verstappen's superior speed during their stint together.

In 2019, Pierre Gasly, alongside now three-time champion Max Verstappen, faced immense challenges matching the pace of his teammate. This culminated in a mid-season demotion back to Toro Rosso, now known as VCARB, following a string of underwhelming performances, including a collision at the German Grand Prix and a significant gap to the front runners at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he was lapped.

Marko pointed out that Gasly's struggles were partly due to his refusal to adapt to the car's established setup. He commented to the media, as quoted by Planet F1:

“We told Gasly that he should use the Verstappen setting. He has to adapt it to his driving style.

“He should concentrate on driving and not constantly tell Mr. Newey how to build the car for him.”

Reflecting on the tensions, Marko remarked on an incident following the Budapest race:

“Yes. When he was lapped in Budapest, he wanted a different suspension.

“He’s not an engineer. He was just running out of excuses and simply couldn’t accept that Max is just the faster guy.”

Marko then reflected on the challenges any driver faces as Verstappen's teammate, highlighting the Dutch driver's unique talent:

“I’m not looking for a new Max because Max is unique."

Marko also touched on the current speculation surrounding Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver signed a 1+1 contract extension earlier in the year, however, his recent underwhelming performances have cast doubt over his future with the team. Marko concluded:

“And it will be difficult for anyone to be his teammate. We have a situation where our second driver unfortunately isn’t performing as he should. So we will have an evaluation in the summer break of what we are going to do.”