Max Verstappen: Red Bull reaffirm title target and 2019 victories demand

Red Bull

Red Bull reaffirm Verstappen's title target and 2019 victories demand

Dr Helmut Marko won't back down!

Matthew Scott

Monday 1 July 2019 13:01

Dr Helmut Marko reaffirmed his ambitions for Red Bull to win five races in 2019 and for Max Verstappen to become F1's youngest world champion after the Dutchman's brilliant victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen's epic triumph at the Red Bull Ring ended a 10-race sequence of Mercedes victories, and largely put rumours of a potential move to the Silver Arrows to rest after a gossip-filled weekend in Spielberg.

Exit clauses in Verstappen's contract were the talk of Spielberg pre-race, and Marko remains confident that Red Bull can still reach their loftiest goals.

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Speaking before the stewards confirmed Verstappen's victory – with an investigation held into his race-winning move on Charles Leclerc – Marko was happy to nail his colours to the mast once more.

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"At the press conference in Tokyo I promised five wins," he said.

"Meanwhile some people declared me crazy or whatsoever. I still believe we can achieve them.

"We don't want to keep Max if we can't provide him with a winning outfit. That's the aim. The aim is still to make him the youngest world champion ever."

Verstappen's win was made all the more magnificent for his fight through the field after dropping as low as eighth on the opening lap.

"I thought 'oh no it's over'. And then slowly Max woke up and in the end the last 30 laps was an unbelievable firework of brilliant driving," Marko said.

"Also I have to say Honda gave us the 30 laps all the power we have. The tyres were staying together and I have to say we had a fantastic chassis where Max could brake and how the traction was and everything.

"So this win is far more exciting than if he would have done a proper start and maybe overtook just one for it."