'Verstappen needs better balance,' says Marko

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Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko criticised Max Verstappen for what the Austrian described as a lack of patience and balance in last weekend's US Grand Prix.

In addition to the blunder Verstappen caused when he pitted his Red Bull without having been called in by his team, the Dutchman expressed annoyance and impatience when asked by his team to preserve his tyres.

"I'm not here to finish fourth!" Verstappen snapped back over the radio. A remark which, according to Helmut Marko, summed up the young prodigy's ill-fated impatience.

"You can't demand too much of the tyres. He must learn this," explicitly said Marko.

"If you don't, you don't win any races, any championships. He needs to find the right balance between attacking and patience.

"Compared to Daniel, he [Verstappen] has substantially higher tyre wear. It doesn't make him faster."

Indeed, a direct compare between the two Red Bull drivers reveals how much smoother Ricciardo's driving tends to be.

A fact even a Red Bull engineer agrees with: "Verstappen showed again in the second stint that he pushes the tyres too hard. When he was warned on the radio, he said he doesn't want to finish fourth, but Ricciardo was wiser."

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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.