Marko recalls Verstappen’s early Red Bull rise
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 7, 2026
Horner autobiography
Christian Horner’s upcoming autobiography, “Drive,” hangs over a familiar Red Bull story involving Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen. Marko said he first approached Verstappen when the driver was 11 and a half years old, long before he reached Formula 1. Marko said Jos Verstappen initially thought it was too early for Max to make the move. He said Verstappen’s karting success and later Formula 3 performance led to his rise at Red Bull. The account puts the emphasis on a long build rather than a quick leap, with Verstappen’s path starting in junior racing and moving step by step toward the top level.
Verstappen rise
Marko said Verstappen’s climb depended on results at every stage. He pointed to the karting success that first caught Red Bull’s attention and the Formula 3 form that followed, which helped carry Verstappen toward a seat with the team. Marko also said he had to stand his ground before Verstappen’s first race for Red Bull in Barcelona. That moment marked another step in a process that began years earlier, when Red Bull first made contact with the young driver. Marko’s version of events centers on persistence, early belief and the racing performances that kept Verstappen moving forward.
Red Bull strain
Marko said his relationship with Horner worsened after Dietrich Mateschitz’s death and remained strained before Horner was removed. That backdrop places Verstappen’s rise inside a broader Red Bull picture, where the driver’s path developed alongside tension among senior figures around the team. Marko’s comments trace that arc from his first contact with Verstappen to the later friction around the organization. They also show how closely Verstappen’s career has been tied to the people who guided him at Red Bull and the pressures that came with that rise.
