{"id":302115,"date":"2023-12-12T17:40:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T17:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=302115"},"modified":"2023-12-12T17:40:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T17:40:06","slug":"max-verstappen-risked-st-relationship-with-red-bull-boss-by-ignoring-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/racing\/f1\/max-verstappen-risked-st-relationship-with-red-bull-boss-by-ignoring-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"Max Verstappen risked ‘s**t’ relationship with Red Bull boss by ignoring calls"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Max Verstappen has revealed that he risked having a \u2018s**t relationship\u2019 with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko during the early stages of his career by repeatedly ignoring the Austrian\u2019s phone calls early in the morning.<\/p>\n

As the head of Red Bull\u2019s driver development program, Marko played a pivotal role in promoting a 17-year-old Verstappen directly into F1 from the Formula 3 European championship back in 2015, moving him into the Toro Rosso team alongside current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.<\/p>\n

After an impressive rookie campaign, Verstappen was promoted into the Red Bull team just four races into the 2016 season, replacing Daniil Kyvat. He duly won on his debut in Barcelona before establishing his position as team leader by seeing off the threat of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.<\/p>\n

Talking to Motorsport-Magazin about the early stages of his relationship with Marko, Verstappen explained: \u201cI just didn\u2019t answer [his calls]. I thought to myself, I\u2019m not going to answer the phone at that time, I\u2019m still asleep.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI then simply called him back at 10 AM. or whenever. At some point, I think he understood that I wouldn\u2019t answer his calls at 7.30 or 8.00 AM either. I think he also likes that in a way because you\u2019ve set your boundaries and he\u2019s the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three-time world champion went further to describe his personal connection to the Austrian advisor, describing it as \u201cvery honest, very straightforward, very open,\u201d before adding: \u201cThat\u2019s how I\u2019ve approached my entire career anyway: If it\u2019s s**t, it\u2019s s**t and if it\u2019s good, it\u2019s good. There\u2019s nothing in between. It\u2019s either s**t or it\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marko was rewarded for placing his faith in Verstappen. After five frustrating years of feeding off scraps in the shadow of Lewis Hamilton, the Dutchman claimed his first-ever Drivers\u2019 Championship title in 2021 following a titanic battle that went down to the final lap of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n

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