Marko: 'F1 perhaps a possibility for Marquez in 2021!'

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Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko was so impressed with MotoGP's Marc Marquez's first run in an F1 car that he believes the Spaniard could make the switch from two to four wheels in the future.

Marquez pounded around the Red Bull Ring yesterday in a 2012 Red Bull RB8, the Spaniard displaying a remarkable faculty of adaptation to the four-wheel environment.

The MotoGP star clocked in at the end of the day with a best lap in 1m14.9s which, while 10 seconds off last year's Austrian Grand Prix pole time set by Valtteri Bottas, was a remarkable feat given the outdated specs of his car.

Gallery: Marc Marquez rides a four-wheel bull!

"Marc started at 1m21 and got down to 1m14," said a highly impressed Helmut Marko.

"He is an exception in the MotoGP and it looks similar here at the Formula 1. I am happy that he gets along so quickly.

"A slower program was intended in the first case but I said Marc can do this instantly — and he confirmed that."

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber was on hand to help Marquez's initiation, and the Aussie also praised the rider for his remarkable performance.

"He was really quiet still at breakfast," Webber said.

"As soon as he got into the cockpit, he was 100 per cent focused and delivered a top performance on the race track.

"Formula 1 and MotoGP are two completely different things. Marc made my job as an instructor very easy though. He always asked the right questions and improved lap by lap."

“I think he made a progress that would have left him at least in the midfield in Formula 1,” he said.

“To put that kind of performance in within such a short time says everything about his huge talent.

In Marko's mind, the 25-year-old clearly has the ability to switch from two to four wheels, suggesting Red Bull could provide him with a seat as soon as 2021 if he ever sets his sights on F1!

"In the coming years he is going to break a lot more records in MotoGP. Maybe after that, Formula 1 will actually be a possibility," said Marko.

"Up to now only a few exceptional talents, such as John Surtees, have managed to compete in both racing series. Marc also has what it takes.

"Today definitely wasn’t the last time he will sit in a Formula 1 car."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.