Marko confesses that he's completely backing Max for the championship.

      The chaser role is advantageous for Red Bull

      Dr. Helmut Marko has disclosed that he has placed his usual bet in Abu Dhabi, and not surprisingly, the 82-year-old is supporting Max Verstappen in completing Red Bull’s remarkable late-season surge. "There are always bets, and this time is no different," the Red Bull representative told Kleine Zeitung. When asked what he would wager on, Marko responded, "Let’s just say I’m fully backing a Max victory in every way."

      He acknowledged that the chaser role fits Red Bull well. "It’s more comfortable. However, McLaren has two drivers still in contention for the title, whereas we only have Max. Therefore, our situation is more challenging," the Austrian remarked. Marko emphasized that Red Bull’s comeback has been aided as much by the mistakes of others as by their own advancements. "We have primarily profited from the errors of our competitors. Unfortunately, we’ve made mistakes ourselves occasionally, for instance with the setup in Hungary. But overall, it has been an incredible season," he added.

      Marko noted that the 2025 showdown lacks the intensity of the Lewis Hamilton situation in 2021. "Everything was much more tense back then," he asserted. "The atmosphere was more charged, nearly explosive. There was also the crash between the two at Silverstone before that, which made it all the more intense."