Helmut Marko Compares Verstappen to F1 Legend Rindt: “Different Worlds, Same Speed”
Former Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko has raised eyebrows by comparing three-time world champion Max Verstappen to Austria’s only F1 champion, Jochen Rindt.
“Max is more like the elegant, young ‘favorite son-in-law.’ Rindt always had a cigarette in his mouth,” Marko told F1-Insider.
Rindt competed in Formula 1 from 1964 until his tragic death in 1970. He remains the only driver to win the championship posthumously.
Despite their stark personality differences, Marko believes both champions share a willingness to push beyond normal limits.
The comparison comes from someone who knew both men intimately. Marko, now 81, was Rindt’s close friend before becoming Verstappen’s mentor at Red Bull.
“The first conversation with Max went far beyond the usual time,” Marko recalled. “Here’s a 15-year-old body with the mind of a 25-year-old.”
What struck Marko most about teenage Verstappen was his clarity of purpose.
“He knew exactly what he wanted. And you could immediately tell: He would do everything to achieve it.”
Rindt, who died at just 28, approached racing with a different mentality according to Marko.
“He was more of an adventurer – giving it his all. Not as analytical as Max.”
This reflects the different eras they raced in.
“Back then there were no simulators, no sensors. The ‘butt’ was still decisive,” Marko explained, referring to how drivers once relied on physical feel rather than data.
## Could They Swap Eras?
Marko believes Verstappen would actually thrive more in Rindt’s dangerous 1970s era than Rindt would in today’s data-driven F1.
“Max shows that you can win races with a car that isn’t absolutely top-of-the-line – because of his incredible car control and because he’s learned so much.”
It’s a bold claim considering how deadly F1 was in Rindt’s day, when driver fatalities were tragically common.
The Austrian advisor noted that Verstappen has continuously added to his skillset.
“That year [2021], Hamilton was still the better tyre expert – now Max is the master in that area too.”
But the biggest difference might be in their approach to preparation.
“Jochen certainly wouldn’t have sat down for hours and done analyses,” Marko said, highlighting how Verstappen’s meticulous work ethic fits perfectly with modern F1’s technical demands.
While Verstappen continues building his legacy at 26, Rindt’s career was cut tragically short. Yet both drivers share that rare quality that transcends eras – blinding speed and the willingness to find limits others can’t reach.
