Sebastian Vettel “not jealous” of Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s success, states Helmut Marko

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed that former four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is not jealous of Max Verstappen's success in Red Bull.

The Dutch driver is experiencing one of the most dominant seasons in the sport's history as he has already won 11 out of 13 races so far. Last weekend, in front of his adoring fans in Zandvoort, Verstappen equalled Vettel's record of nine consecutive race wins.

Speaking with De Telegraaf, the Red Bull advisor insisted:

"And Sebastian isn’t jealous, by the way. He recently sent me a message saying that we should aim for 12 consecutive victories so that the record remains in our hands forever."

Verstappen had previously stated that the German driver messaged him and encouraged him to go for the record, adding:

"I think at five wins in a row or something, Seb texted me and said, ‘Well done, keep it up’ and something like, ‘You’re going to do it’. Nine in a row is something very impressive and I never thought I would be on eight.”

Can Max Verstappen make it 10 in a row as he starts P2 in Monza?

Max Verstappen was pipped to the pole position at the 2023 F1 Italian GP after Carlos Sainz of Ferrari edged him on the line. The top three, comprising Sainz, Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc were covered by 0.067s.

In his post-qualifying interview, Verstappen said:

“It was very close throughout qualifying. I am happy with second place today. Tomorrow we will try to win the race and normally we will be fast. First, I'm going to enjoy this session and then I'm going to focus on Sunday's race.”

While an elated Carlos Sainz stated:

“It was an intense qualifying, that last lap I really pushed myself to squeeze everything out. I've had nothing but goosebumps since I crossed the finish line. The support from the public here, but also at the hotel and when we arrive at the circuit, is unprecedented. You hear sound and support everywhere. That is the best feeling you can have as a driver, as a sportsman.”

It will be interesting to see if the Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Sainz can stop Verstappen, who has a pretty good chance of making it 10-in-a row starting from P2. The RB19 generally has a better race pace as compared to the Scarlet Ferraris and the same would be the case on Sunday.