Marko advises Lawson: Don't think you're going to beat Verstappen

Sunday, 05 January 2025 at 08:00

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has offered clear and candid advice to Liam Lawson as the young New Zealander prepares for his debut season as four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen’s teammate.

Marko stressed the importance of understanding 27-year-old Verstappen’s status as the dominant force in Formula 1, warning Lawson not to overreach. Marko told RTL: “Accept that Max Verstappen is the best and see how far you can get. But don’t come into our team thinking: ‘I’m going to beat him.’ That’s where it went wrong with all his teammates.”

Lawson, stepping into the seat vacated by Sergio Pérez, joins Red Bull after honing his skills at VCARB for 11 races in all, Marko believes Lawson’s mindset will be critical to his success at Red Bull, especially given the challenges faced by Verstappen’s previous teammates.

Reflecting on past pairings alongside Verstappen, Marko emphasised the pitfalls of trying to outsmart the four-time world champion with unconventional strategies: “Some of Max’s former teammates made the mistake of attempting to outdo him with technological experiments, absurd set-ups, and strategic games. Lawson should avoid these traps.”

Lawson target should be three-tenths within Verstappen

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 14: Pierre Gasly of France and Alpine F1, Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Scuderia AlphaTauri, Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, Fernando Alonso of Spain and Aston Martin F1 Team and Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari attend the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 14, 2023 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202309140538 // Usage for editorial use only //

Marko’s advice comes with clear performance expectations: “If Lawson can stay within three-tenths of Max in both qualifying and races, he will meet the team’s goals. That should be enough for points in the constructors’ championship. In addition, Lawson must continue to develop steadily.”

As Lawson prepares to join the grid alongside Verstappen, the rookie faces not only one of the sport’s toughest challenges but also an opportunity to cement his place in Formula 1 under the mentorship of Red Bull’s dominant driver.

Verstappen victims over the years include Daniel Ricciardo who shied away from a fight and imploded his career by departing Red Bull. Then began the spell, that continues, to find the right teammate for the team's number one driver.

Step up from within the Red Bull driver programme Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, to no avail. Then Sergio Perez who was arguably the best of the bunch but ultimately was destroyed by Verstappen this past season when the Red Bull RB20 took a ballsy genius to drive, let alone win with and become World Champ.

Back to the drawing board with Liam Lawson getting the nod by Horner and Marko over Yuki Tsunoda to try his luck in the Lion's den.