Helmut Marko raves about an “incredible show” after Verstappen’s Las Vegas victory—and talks about risky setup strategy and private gambling.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is thrilled after Max Verstappen’s victory at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix – and talks about a performance that even his long-time top driver doesn’t deliver every day. “It was an incredible Max Verstappen show,” says Marko.
Right in the first corner, Verstappen forced Lando Norris into a mistake and then “more or less controlled” the race. He was particularly impressed by the phase in which McLaren radioed Norris to attack: “That was what Max needed – or rather, didn’t need. And then: poof, poof, poof – one fastest lap after another.”
Marko answers the question of whether Red Bull had expected a strong dry setup the day before openly. Although the weather forecast had indicated a dry race, they weren’t really prepared: “We didn’t have a single lap on the hard tires. Two or four laps on the softs – they weren’t very impressive. It was a gamble. We’re in Las Vegas, and our gamble paid off.“
Marko: Verstappen is ”back in full force”
Even though Verstappen has won many times in his career, Marko noticed how relaxed his driver seemed after the race. His joy at his tire management and race pace was clearly palpable. “After the summer break, this is now the third race he has won.”
A reporter corrects him: “I think it’s the fourth,” to which Marko laughs: “The fourth, yes. And he was beaming, he enjoyed it. He’s back in full force.”
Looking back on the previous races, Marko admits that it hasn’t always been easy for Verstappen, despite his strong results. In Brazil, for example, his comeback was impressive, but the setup wasn’t quite right—nor was it in Mexico. In Las Vegas, on the other hand, things went much more smoothly and clearly: “In the end, we didn’t really have a chance to do a proper dry setup. Maybe that was a good thing.“
Marko’s ”private gamble” – and a little dig
Finally, Marko was asked whether he had engaged in any other form of gambling besides the risky setup – after all, Las Vegas is world-famous for its casinos and Marko for his bets. His answer came promptly: “Not in the casino, I have my private gambling.”
When asked if he had won a lot, he says with a grin: “I won – moderately. But not as much as Max’s bonus.”
