Las Vegas GP: Helmut Marko fires warning – “We’ll take risks, Norris has to play safe”. Helmut Marko signals Red Bull will adopt an aggressive strategy for Max Verstappen.

Austrian advisor Helmut Marko has fired up Max Verstappen ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, signaling a bold approach for the Red Bull driver.

Max has only one target: victory

In recent days, Max Verstappen made it clear that calculations are no longer part of his strategy. With just three Grands Prix remaining in the season, there is only one result he can aim for: a win. With a 49-point deficit to overcome, the Dutchman knows a comeback is far from guaranteed, given McLaren’s competitiveness and Lando Norris’ phenomenal form – who secured pole position on Las Vegas Saturday.

Red Bull plans an aggressive strategy for Max Verstappen

Immediately after leaving his car, Max Verstappen whispered: “Hopefully there will be good grip on my side,” already virtually steering his Red Bull towards the first corner. The question now is what Lando Norris will do if his Dutch rival attacks – will he focus on the championship or show pure pace?

Helmut Marko leans toward the first scenario: “We have nothing to lose and will take risks, while Lando should be more cautious. Nobody has done a long run, so we don’t know how the dry conditions will play out. And it will be exciting, especially regarding tyre choice,” he told Sky Deutschland.

Marko also admitted that he expected Red Bull to take pole in Las Vegas: “I admire all the drivers; it was an intense day, but apart from Albon, no one had an accident in really difficult conditions. After Q1 and Q2, we expected pole position, but the timing wasn’t optimal. We lost the last lap, unlike Lando. Our cooling strategy didn’t work correctly because traffic complicated everything. Maybe we went out too early,” the former Austrian driver acknowledged.