Max Verstappen's 'second father' makes surprise Ferrari admission

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, China, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen's 'second father' makes surprise Ferrari admission

Verstappen ally reveals what they think about the 2026 cars

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 1 April 2026 13:55

Max Verstappen's self described 'second father' has had his say on the all new F1 cars, Red Bull and Ferrari.

Red Bull is a much changed team to the one Verstappen joined back in 2016, chiefly because of a wave of key exits last year that included long-standing team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko.

It was the latter who played such an instrumental role in young Verstappen's career, with the Dutchman even likening Marko to a 'second father'.

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The 2026 season is Verstappen's first without Marko in the Red Bull camp, but the 82-year-old's opinion is never far from reach (just pick up any German language newspaper) and recently delivered his thoughts on the all new regulations.

Marko: F1 reliant on Ferrari spectacle

Speaking to oe24, Marko was asked if he had warmed to the new way of racing, to which he responded: "No. It relies entirely on the Ferrari spectacle at the start. If you take that away, there’s not much going on.

"Most of the overtaking manoeuvres are just passing each other. But it’s still early in the season, so perhaps it will improve."

Marko was also asked about Red Bull's current woes, with Verstappen most recently finding himself stuck behind the Alpine of Pierre Gasly at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull's former advisor claimed that the race cancellations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could work in Verstappen's favour, adding: "Red Bull is known for being able to catch up quickly and effectively. So, anything is still possible. The good thing is that the two April races have been cancelled, which gives them even more time.

"If you don't have a car that scores points at the front, that's not a disadvantage."

Marko then praised Verstappen's exploits in GT racing at the Nurburgring, where he concluded: "It was impressive how he carved his way through the field. Even though his team was disqualified, it was primarily a training session for the 24-hour race, and it was very successful."

Verstappen will contest the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May, with the race weekend taking place from May 14-17.

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F1 Max Verstappen Ferrari Helmut Marko