Helmut Marko SNUBS Lewis Hamilton when naming ideal Sergio Perez replacement

Hamilton, Marko and Verstappen on the podium — Photo: © LAT Images

Red Bull

Marko SNUBS Hamilton when naming ideal Perez replacement

Helmut Marko has revealed who would be the perfect candidate for Red Bull's super team

Luis Raya

Monday 14 August 2023 21:12

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Helmut Marko has denied that Lewis Hamilton is the ideal candidate to form a 'super team' at Red Bull, and suggests Lando Norris as Max Verstappen's teammate for that dream team.

In 12 races in 2023, Max Verstappen has taken a commanding lead of 125 points over Sergio Perez, with absolute dominance. Many doubt whether the Mexican is the right driver to be Verstappen's teammate.

Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Norris, and Daniel Ricciardo have been some of the names more frequently mentioned to fill that seat, and Helmut Marko himself has revealed who would be a good candidate.

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"Norris would be easier for me to imagine, with Hamilton, I struggle more. For the audience, television, and journalists, that would certainly be optimal, but for team management and success, we as a team want to win the championship", said Marko, in an interview with Motorsport Magazin.

Marko: "A Verstappen-Norris duo would be perfect for fans"

Having a harmonious team would be ideal, and the Verstappen-Norris pairing could work better than with Hamilton, due to the clashes that the Dutch and British drivers have had in the past. Marko also discussed the importance of a hierarchy and order within the team.

"It's better to have a certain hierarchy where it's clear who is - I don't want to say the number 1 driver, but who is significantly faster."

There are no team orders at Red Bull

Likewise, Marko also wanted to make it clear that there are no team orders at Red Bull, and that the most important aspect is to have a well-structured setup where everyone knows their role.

"We basically never have team orders, but it must not affect the overall team, atmosphere, and competitiveness," he said. "When you have two such stars, let's look at the past: Senna and Prost didn't go well. They only focused on themselves, and the team was in the background."

In this way, the Red Bull advisor aims to prevent internal clashes like those that occurred at McLaren between Alonso and Hamilton in 2007, or more recently like the one between Rosberg and Hamilton at the beginning of the hybrid era.

"If two drivers respect each other accordingly and also respect the team's interests, but there must be a certain relationship between the drivers. That wouldn't be possible with all the combinations we've heard recently."