If Ferrari hadn't cheated, Verstappen would have been in the running for the world title in 2020

Helmut Marko reflected extensively on the successful years with Max Verstappen in an interview with De Telegraaf. Prior to this dominance, there were some less successful years, which Marko blames on Renault and Ferrari.

In 2021, Verstappen won his first world title after a nerve-wracking battle with Lewis Hamilton. It took a while for Verstappen to have a car that could compete for the world championship since he was promoted to Red Bull Racing by Helmut Marko in 2016.

''For Max and for all of Red Bull, it was great that we could start a partnership with Honda in 2019, even though they almost had a deal with Sauber. It was a difference of night and day compared to Renault. At the first test, five engines were ready. With Renault, we were lucky if there was one that worked. A complete different world."

Not just the available engines, but especially the lack of quality of the engine hindered Verstappen for years in the fight for the title. Mercedes dominated the sport with its power unit and Red Bull couldn't compensate with its chassis. In 2020, the team got a bit closer, but still fell short.

Should Verstappen move to Mercedes?

"I think we could have fought for the title in 2020, if it weren't for Ferrari – as it turned out – cheating with the engine. This gave Mercedes the motivation to extract the maximum from their engine and make another jump. Honda also made an investment, and in 2021 we had a truly competitive power unit for the first time.''

The rest is history. In 2021, Verstappen made good use of that stronger power unit and won his first world championship in the final race of the season. In the following three years, Verstappen won the title again, and he is also in the running for the championship in 2025, although it seems difficult to beat the McLarens this season.

For 2026, the engine and chassis regulations will be overhauled. The pecking order could change completely. Red Bull is also making their own engine for that season. It will be a big challenge, but according to Marko, there are enough intelligent team members to make it a success.

Verstappen is meanwhile often linked to Mercedes, also because the German team is believed to have the best engine for that season and could dominate again. Nonsense, Marko previously stated. At this point, no one really knows what the relations are.