Helmut Marko names the only two drivers who could get ‘near’ Max Verstappen in the same car

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Max Verstappen has beaten Sergio Perez in every single meaningful session this season. He leads the qualifying head-to-head 15-0 and is 14-0 up in the races both have finished.

Alex Albon is the only other driver on the F1 grid to whitewash his teammate in such a fashion. Logan Sargeant has now lost his Williams seat, with Franco Colapinto replacing him for the rest of the season.

Perez has also been fighting for his future at Red Bull. But this is becoming a cycle for the world champions.

Since Daniel Ricciardo left in 2018, the team have struggled to find a competitive replacement. Pierre Gasly lasted just six months, Albon lasted 18 and Perez has been hanging on for more than a year at this point.

Ricciardo beat Verstappen in 2017, their first full year together as his teammates. But in his final campaign, the Dutchman prevailed in 15 qualifying sessions and 15 races, finishing nearly 80 points ahead.

Part of the reason Ricciardo left was that he felt the team were starting to build around Verstappen. But he may also have sensed that the youngster was moving to a different level.

Helmut Marko says only Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton could challenge Max Verstappen at Red Bull

Speaking on the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Red Bull executive director Helmut Marko picked out the only two drivers who could get ‘near’ Verstappen. One is seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, and the other is McLaren’s Lando Norris – his nearest challenger this year.

Marko believes they have not only the speed, but crucially the self-confidence, to keep Verstappen in their sights. But he doesn’t necessarily think they could beat him.

Norris cut Verstappen’s advantage in the championship to 70 points by winning the Dutch Grand Prix in dominant fashion last weekend. But McLaren have virtually been a match for Red Bull since the Miami GP in May, and still the Englishman hasn’t made significant inroads.

“I honestly believe there are not many drivers – maybe a Hamilton, or maybe Lando – [who] could be near to him, but only near to him,” Marko said. “The driver next to Max has to have a lot of self-confidence.

“He has to admit that he’s driving with the fastest driver in Formula 1 at the moment. To beat him is very, very difficult. So just do your best and see where you can finish.”

Albon says Verstappen’s ‘Call of Duty’ driving style requires a lot of adjustment, with Red Bull routinely designing their car around his preferences. Much would depend, then, on whether the team were willing to compromise with an A-list driver alongside him.

Max Verstappen names the three-win duo he’d have in his own F1 team

Verstappen named Hamilton as one of his top five F1 drivers ever, alongside Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Juan Manuel Fangio. But he wouldn’t have him in his line-up if he managed a team.

Instead, he’d prefer to build around young drivers. That’s why Verstappen picked Norris and Oscar Piastri in an interview with the F1 Kids correspondents at Zandvoort.

He doesn’t seem likely to cross paths with Norris in the near future. The 24-year-old is committed to a long-term contract at McLaren.

Meanwhile, Eddie Jordan expects Verstappen to join Mercedes in 2026 as F1 enters a new era of regulations. It’s conceivable that Red Bull target Norris as his successor.