Mercedes’ driver lineup change for 2022 may actually make it easier for Max Verstappen to win back-to-back titles. That is the view of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who was commenting on fellow Austrian Toto Wolff’s decision to replace five-year Mercedes veteran Valtteri Bottas with young Williams charger Russell. “First we need to see how fast Russell really is,” Marko told La Gazzetta dello Sport. Marko, the top Red Bull official alongside Christian Horner, also hit reverse gear on his earlier statement that Wolff is a “bad loser” for not quickly accepting title defeat this year. “At first, the choice of words is perhaps a bit excessive,” the 78-year-old told Servus TV. Marko thinks that despite the all-new regulations, Red Bull and Mercedes will continue to be closely matched in 2022.

Follow MotorMouth on social media:

• 
• 
• 
•