Helmut Marko says 26-year-old missed out on winning F1 title due to ‘driving errors’

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Red Bull director Helmut Marko has hinted that the team’s run of three straight F1 drivers’ titles is partly down to a rival team wasting their opportunity.

Max Verstappen has sealed a hat-trick of championships for the Bulls at the end of a seven-year spell of Mercedes dominance.

But Marko thinks things could have been different if a competitor had made the most of their chance.

Verstappen beat Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 title by eight points after a dramatic and controversial finale in Abu Dhabi.

The year after, he finished 146 points ahead of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in the standings.

And last term, the Dutchman enjoyed the one most-sided season in F1 history as he rattled off a record 19 victories from 22 races.

Helmut Marko recalls costly Charles Leclerc ‘errors’

Writing in his column for Speedweek, Marko argued that Leclerc and Ferrari handed Red Bull the advantage in 2022.

The 80-year-old insists the Scuderia had the better car prior to the summer break, but squandered that advantage through poor strategic decisions and ‘driving errors’.

Leclerc was forced to pit after sustaining damage at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and he crashed out of the French Grand Prix from the lead too.

“Ferrari was actually faster in the first half of the season,” Marko wrote.

“It was only through strategy and driving errors from Leclerc that things tipped in our favour.”

Can Leclerc end Verstappen dominance?

Of all the drivers in the current field, Leclerc perhaps looks best-placed to challenge Verstappen and Red Bull.

Ferrari have been the second-fastest car so far in 2024, with Carlos Sainz taking the final podium spot in Bahrain before Leclerc did the same in Saudi Arabia.

The 26-year-old has also joined Verstappen on the front row at the first two events.

He believes that Ferrari will be able to put the Milton Keynes outfit under pressure if they continue at their current rate of progress.

Next year may present a more realistic shot at a first F1 title given the extent of Red Bull’s early superiority.

Leclerc will have to contend with seven-time world champion Hamilton at that stage.

But double world champion Mika Hakkinen says he’ll have the advantage of being integrated within the team.