Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has described Max Verstappen’s clashes with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase as “great fun”, following last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen was imperious once again last weekend at the historic Spa-Francorchamps, with the Dutchman having claimed his 10th win of 2023.
His win at the legendary venue was also his eighth consecutive victory, and the 45th of his Formula 1 career.
The reigning World Champion’s dominance since the new aerodynamic regulations came into effect last season appears to be getting no closer to ending, as proven by the fact he’s now won 25 of the last 34 races.
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In total, Verstappen has won 73.5% of the races since the new regs were introduced, highlighting his dominance.
To put it into further context, Sergio Perez is second for the most wins since the new regulations were introduced, with four wins to both of their names.
Nothing is stopping Verstappen from winning currently, not even a five-place grid penalty.
The two-time World Champion had qualified on pole but started from sixth last weekend, following a five-place grid penalty for having a new gearbox fitted outside of his legal limit.
He remarkably found himself in the lead by Lap 17/44 before going on to win by over 22 seconds.
His lead in the Drivers’ Championship now sits at a mammoth 125 points, meaning he could theoretically miss the next five races and still lead the standings.
It’s only a matter of time until he claims his third consecutive title, something the grid appears to have accepted.
Despite how easily Verstappen is winning every race currently, he’s still been getting plenty of instructions from his race engineer.
Lambiase was very vocal with Verstappen over the team radio last weekend, with the pair having spoken back to each other.
As a result, many pondered whether the duo have any issues, something Verstappen has denied.
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Marko actually thinks Verstappen’s and Lambiase’s conversations are good for journalists, with them being “good fun”.
“It’s great fun for journalists and the public,” Marko told De Telegraaf.
“The things they talk about always have a serious undertone, but if you know the background, you understand it.”