Verstappen hits back at Marko: ‘I’m loving what I’m doing’

Max Verstappen has firmly rejected Helmut Marko’s suggestion that his passion for Formula 1 waned earlier this season, insisting his commitment to racing has never wavered.

Marko recently stirred the pot, claiming Verstappen’s interest in Formula 1 took a hit when Red Bull’s car struggled over the summer, hence his endeavor into GT3 racing at the Nürburgring last month.

But speaking ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix and the reprise of his sensational chase to win a fifth consecutive world title, Verstappen set the record straight regarding Marko’s claim.

Verstappen Shoots Down the Talk

“No, I don't,” Verstappen said plainly when asked whether he agreed with Marko’s remarks.

“Of course it's more enjoyable coming to the race weekends like this than knowing that you don't have a chance to win, but I know for myself that when I sit in the car I will always try to maximise everything that I have and I give it everything.

"So even if I'm fighting for P4 or even a P9, I will always try to get the best out of it.”

Verstappen also addressed Marko’s belief that he had become “more interested in GT racing”, with the Austrian suggesting the team had kept him upbeat by chatting about endurance events such as the Nürburgring.

But the Dutchman was quick to bat that theory away, too.

“Allowing me to do other stuff, this has been planned already for a long time,” he explained.

“So it's not that this has suddenly come on the radar because these things have to be planned well in advance and the preparation for it as well so that it allowed me this year to compete myself in real life.

"Yeah, that was the first opportunity but I've been doing this also offline a lot, even racing during F1 weekends online so there's nothing really that has changed in terms of how professional I approach my race weekends.”

Back on Form – and Loving the Fight

Verstappen’s response comes at a time when his on-track form has rebounded in style. After a dominant weekend in Austin, the Red Bull star has slashed his championship deficit to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to just 40 points – and with five races to go, the title fight is back on.

“Of course naturally you want to win, you want to win the championship, of course I've won championships very late, very early,” Verstappen reflected.

“Now this one is very different because I think for most of the season it was a lot harder for us, and to be honest with you, to still be in this fight is very surprising. But I’ll take it and now – like I said before – we need to be perfect, but for me it's just positive pressure.

"I mean, I'm loving what I'm doing. If the car is competitive, it's much better to be racing it than when it's not.

“So yeah, every race that you do, I know until the end we can't afford any bad luck or mistakes, but this team I think has shown in the past that normally we perform really well under pressure anyway and that's what we'll try to do until the end.”

From brushing off questions about his motivation to embracing the thrill of a revived title challenge, Verstappen’s message is clear: his fire for Formula 1 hasn’t dimmed – it’s burning brighter than ever.

Read also: Red Bull hint at more upgrades to boost Verstappen’s title charge

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook