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Marko TAUNTS Mercedes as 'not a serious opponent'

The war of words between two of Formula 1's biggest teams continues

Dan Davis

Sunday 10 September 2023 11:57

Helmut Marko has delivered a withering putdown to Mercedes after they dismissed Max Verstappen's stellar run, insisting they are 'not a serious opponent'.

His razor-sharp words come after Toto Wolff labelled Verstappen's record-breaking 10 victories in a row as a "Wikipedia statistic" and then doubled down by insisting "these kinds of records are completely irrelevant" following the Italian Grand Prix.

Pundit Martin Brundle subsequently shared his surprise at the apparent disrespect and numerous other figures in the paddock were quick to congratulate Red Bull on their achievement, particularly in light of their 14th consecutive win.

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However, with Mercedes seemingly unwilling to row back on their comments, Red Bull advisor Marko has now aimed a savage jibe in their direction.

Verstappen clinched a record-breaking 10th victory in a row in Monza

Marko: 'We don't create stories'

"This is exactly the difference," Marko said. "We look at our own team and try to perform as well as possible.

"We are not involved with Mercedes as long as they are not a serious opponent.

"We look at ourselves, we do our best and we don't create stories for nothing like they do."

Instead, Marko is determined to focus on Verstappen's era of dominance.

"For Max, this winning streak means a lot. For me personally, getting the 100th win as a team was even more special than this, but it's fantastic for Max," he added.

"I think it was very important for him to break that record. Now he's got it, so I think he's a bit more relaxed for the next races."