Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing’s key advisor, has acknowledged that Max Verstappen encountered a couple of perilous moments during the Canadian Grand Prix – one due to his own fault and another resulting from bad fortune.
During the middle portion of the race, the reigning champion collided with a bird. Fortunately, Verstappen sustained only minor cosmetic damage to his car and was able to continue without any major issues.
Later in the race, he forcefully bounced over the kerbs at the same chicane that had claimed parts of George Russell’s car earlier.
Despite the impact, Verstappen managed to carry on without significant consequences, joking over the team radio that he nearly knocked himself out during the excursion.
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Marko attributed the error to overconfidence, which is understandable considering Verstappen’s dominance in recent races.
The Dutchman has led over 220 consecutive laps in the last few races, fuelling his pursuit of a third consecutive world title.
Marko revealed an interesting detail about Verstappen’s race strategy, mentioning that the driver often watches himself on TV during the race.
This ability to assess his own performance in real-time speaks to Verstappen’s remarkable thinking capacity and extraordinary situational awareness.
“Max himself also had two moments,” Marko acknowledged.
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“First, he hit a bird. Unfortunately, it didn’t end well for the bird, but luckily, we didn’t suffer any significant damage in terms of cooling or other aspects.
“The second incident was due to his overconfidence with the kerbs. I don’t know if he saw it himself on TV, as he often does with various incidents. It demonstrates the remarkable mental capacity he possesses.
“His ability to assess the moment and move on is truly exceptional.”