Dr. Helmut Marko has disclosed a "tense" atmosphere prevailing in the Red Bull team garage as they prepare for the Belgian GP.
Following an incident in Hungary where both Max Verstappen and his seasoned race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase were later reprimanded by the team's prominent F1 advisor, the pair have had discussions to address the issue. "The two of them sat down together and discussed it," Marko shared with Kleine Zeitung.
"The mood is a bit tense," he further admitted, noting that the triple world champion Verstappen is "more tense" than usual.
"It's a tough season for him and he's only human," Marko explained. "We're still in the lead, but not as dominant anymore."
Verstappen, still appearing frustrated at Spa on Thursday, advised critics of his radio communications during races to "turn the volume down."
Addressing his interactions with his long-time engineer 'GP', the 26-year-old clarified, "We are very open, very critical of each other, but that has worked very well for us, so I don't expect that to change."
However, Verstappen is not pleased with the reported "ban" on his late-night sim racing activities. "I don't have a ban," he retorted.
"I don't tell them what to do in their private time at the weekend. That also applies to me the other way around."
"We've talked about it," Verstappen continued. "There are no new sim races coming up, so I said he doesn't have to worry. I've been doing this since 2015 anyway, it's important for my life. I've won three world championships. I know what I can and what I cannot do."
Verstappen faces a grid penalty at Spa for using unscheduled fresh engine components, but he remains unfazed. "We've known what was coming for a long time so it's not a nasty surprise. The weekend will show how far we can advance up the field. We haven't had the fastest car in the last few races, so we can't say we'll win, but a lot can happen in a grand prix.
"McLaren has put the best car on the track in the last few weekends and if that continues, it will be close at the end of the championship," he predicted.
Meanwhile, as the summer break approaches, the future of both Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull Racing and its junior squad RB remains uncertain. "We need consistency," Marko noted.
"Christian Horner and I will sit down on Monday after the race and discuss how to proceed. Then we will know more about both of them. The good thing is that we have a strong squad. Liam Lawson is certainly at the top of the list, but there is also Isack Hadjar and Ayumu Iwasa," Marko concluded.
