Max Verstappen, with three F1 world titles under his belt, owes part of his journey to Helmut Marko, who played a key role in bringing him to Red Bull. Now, a fresh Dutch talent might be on the horizon as Marko hints at a potential successor.
Rocco Coronel, just 13 years old, caught Marko’s eye during a Formula 3 car test. The son of Tom Coronel dreams of reaching Formula 1.
Marko’s Excitement for Rocco Coronel
Marko was blown away by young Coronel’s performance: “We were very surprised by Rocco. He is 13 years old, so he was younger than Max when we started with him. There were several good drivers, but for his age, Rocco Coronel was definitely exceptional.”
Without even checking times, Marko noticed Coronel’s speed: “I go from corner to corner on a scooter, as always. I don’t need a stopwatch. They said to me: ‘Coronel is the fastest’. I said: ‘I know, I don’t need a stopwatch to see that’.”
Fans might wonder if this new talent could fill Verstappen’s shoes someday.
Could Rocco Be the Next Big Thing?
Marko added more insights about Rocco: “He is quite mature. He has self-confidence. He also has a pretty dominant father, it seems, in the Netherlands. But then his father stopped talking, and he [Rocco] told more about himself. I’m impressed with how he keeps the balance between racing and school. So I’m sure that if Max ever quits, we might already have his successor in place,” the Austrian revealed.
What do you think? Could Rocco be the next star in F1?
