Red Bull employees left ‘disappointed’ over bonuses after Max Verstappen wins F1 title in Las Vegas
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has admitted employees at the F1 side have been left ‘disappointed’ with their bonuses up in the air in the wake of Max Verstappen’s latest title triumph.
The 27-year-old finished fifth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix to secure glory for the fourth year in a row.
It was a huge moment for Verstappen who, despite being pushed hard by Lando Norris, has extended his winning run.
Behind the scenes, however, it appears not everybody is quite so happy.
While Verstappen has been crowned world champion, his fifth-placed finish wasn’t enough for Red Bull to improve their position in the 2024 constructor standings.
They have 555 points but Ferrari and McLaren, with 584 and 608 points to their name respectively, are ahead of them.
And Marko, speaking to DAZN, has now revealed employees are ‘disappointed’ because their bonuses are dependent on Red Bull securing glory in the Constructors’ Championship.
He said: “We have to have two drivers who finish in the points.
“Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio [in the driver standings].
“For now the main thing was to win the [Drivers’] Championship for Max but for our employees it is a disappointment because they will not receive their bonuses, as they depend on our position in the Constructors’ Championship.”
Marko also hailed Verstappen, insisting he deserves credit for getting the best out of his car.
“In Monza I was skeptical,” he said in a separate interview with Sky DE.
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“But then, fortunately, we turned it around and during the race it was a tactical masterstroke.
“He showed what speed was possible in the early stages, but then turned his attention to the championship and brought his car home in a sovereign way, with great style.”
He added: “There were a few races where the car was not the fastest, but it still won.
“And Monza was definitely the low point, but still he did it time after time and got the maximum out of it.
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“Not a single accident. And in the phase where sometimes we were only fourth in terms of speed, he still managed to stabilise the gap or the lead every time.”
Meanwhile, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has also hailed Verstappen.
“He’s been in a class of his own this year,” he said.
“He’s been absolutely outstanding. He’s won eight Grands Prix, more than double anyone else on the grid. He had an incredible start.
“We had a tough summer but he never lost his focus. He kept overdelivering, kept getting the results and performances. He deserves this fourth world championship.
“It puts him among the elite of the sport. I can’t credit him enough for the way he’s handled himself this year, the way he’s worked with the engineer and team. He’s been outstanding.”