After winning four consecutive championships, Max Verstappen went level with Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost and now exists among the sport’s most successful racers.
Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio have won more titles and he could match the Argentinian if he earns a fifth consecutive championship this year.
However, Red Bull didn’t make life easy for Verstappen last year as the team’s performance comparatively fell away compared to McLaren and Ferrari.
The Dutchman went on a run of 10 Grand Prix without a victory but he clinched the title in Las Vegas with a few races to spare.
Verstappen’s win in Sao Paulo was compared to Schumacher’s performance at the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix but journalists James Allen and Roberto Chinchero admitted they saw another similarity between the pair.
Speaking on the James Allen on F1 Podcast, it was suggested that Verstappen’s defence of Helmut Marko was reminiscent of how Schumacher protected former Ferrari boss Jean Todt.
Max Verstappen’s defence of Helmut Marko reminiscent of Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt
Allen was talking about how Verstappen put his foot down last season when Marko’s role within Red Bull was suddenly threatened and said: “Clearly, Verstappen learned there from Michael Schumacher’s example.
“In the late 90s, it wasn’t going very well with Jean Todt was leading the Ferrari team and they weren’t getting where they wanted to get to.
“And at a certain point, there were moves within Ferrari to get rid of Todt.
“Even though they didn’t know each other all that well at the time, Schumacher said to Ferrari, ‘If he goes, I go.’
“And so exactly the same response as [Schumacher from Verstappen] and so it was a very decisive single move then as with Verstappen and Marko.
“So interesting how history has echoes for us.”
Max Verstappen’s protection of Helmut Marko at Red Bull explained
Chinchero gave more context about Verstappen’s staunch defence of Marko last season and explained: “I respect a lot what Max did last year with the respect he had with Helmut because you can consider Jean at the time [was] a man with another 10 years, at least 20 years of his career in front of him.
“Helmut I think he’s doing his last one, two years, so it was easy for Max to say goodbye to him from some point of view.
“But I appreciate a lot the way he supported the man that completely changed his life because don’t forget how Helmut was under attack at the moment they announced that a 17-year-old driver was driving in Formula 1.
“So everybody was ready to kill him, sportively speaking, Helmut because of this choice and there was a big, big risk for Helmut.
“Then we see that it was Max Verstappen. But in Formula 3, when he chose him, we just saw three, or six wins, not more.
“So it was a big gamble, big risk, but he was under the spotlight and said it’s my choice and probably Max remembered.”
Jean Todt shares how Michael Schumacher protecting his job at Ferrari
Marko and Verstappen’s contracts were linked at Red Bull and there was previously a clause that allowed the Dutchman to leave if the team’s chief advisor was moved on.
That may no longer be the case but highlights Marko’s importance to Verstappen and the 27-year-old’s loyalty to one of his closest allies.
Todt revealed in an interview with La Stampa how Schumacher protected him in a similar manner when things weren’t going well at Ferrari.
He revealed: “The situation was disastrous at the beginning. In 1996 there was a lot of talk about my dismissal.
“Michael had just arrived and saw that my plan was right, the people who were about to arrive and with whom I was dealing in secret corresponded to our plan.
“This is why he intervened and said: “If Todt leaves, I’ll leave too”.”
Verstappen has been linked with leaving Red Bull and it would be interesting if Marko followed him.
However, his more general role as Red Bull’s advisor and junior driver chief means that’s unlikely to happen.
