Max Verstappen’s spectacular crash at Zandvoort could have had much more serious consequences. Helmut Marko recounts the seconds that worried him.
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Helmut Marko admits to having experienced a few particularly anxious seconds during Max Verstappen’s spectacular crash at the Dutch Grand Prix. The four-time world champion had lost control of his Red Bull in the last corner on the first lap before coming to a stop across the track.
While the impact was already worrying, it was especially the final position of the RB22 that posed a real danger. Verstappen was directly exposed to the cars coming up behind him, with the risk of being hit sideways at high speed.
Marko immediately feared the worst
Verstappen had accelerated on a still wet section exiting the last corner when he suddenly lost control of his car. After hitting the barriers, his Red Bull slid before coming to a stop across the circuit.
“I was clearly scared when I saw the car across the track,” Marko admits to oe24.
The former Red Bull advisor knew that the main danger no longer necessarily came from the initial impact, but from the cars racing behind Verstappen. In a still compact pack after only a few laps, a secondary collision could have had much more serious consequences.
Lawson avoided a potentially dramatic situation
Among the drivers directly confronted with the stationary Red Bull was Liam Lawson. The New Zealander, who was replacing Isack Hadjar at Zandvoort, had to react very quickly to change his trajectory and avoid Verstappen.
Marko believes this reaction played an important role in preventing the situation from worsening.
“Fortunately, there was some distance from the rest of the pack and, luckily, Liam Lawson reacted very well. If someone hits a car stopped across the track, it can become really dangerous,” the Austrian emphasizes.
The other drivers also managed to go around the RB22, thus avoiding a pile-up in this extremely fast section of Zandvoort.
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A first sign that quickly reassured Marko
After seeing that Verstappen had not been hit by another car, Marko immediately sought to determine if his former protégé had been injured in the crash.
A detail observed from the footage quickly gave him a first reassuring element: the Dutchman’s head movements in his cockpit.
“I could immediately see from the way he was moving his head that Max was stable,” Marko explains.
The definitive confirmation then came directly over the radio. Verstappen quickly told his team he was fine before acknowledging his responsibility for the crash.
“Then all his messages came through: ‘I’m fine’ and ‘Sorry!'” Marko recounts.
More fear than harm for Verstappen
The Dutchman ultimately emerged unscathed from his car, but his home Grand Prix ended on the first lap. A particularly frustrating conclusion for what could have been his last appearance in Formula 1 in front of his home crowd at Zandvoort.
The crash will remain one of the most impressive images of the weekend. While Verstappen was not injured in the initial impact, the presence of his car across the racing line posed a considerable risk.
For Marko, relief quickly replaced worry. Thanks to the space left by the pack and the immediate reaction of drivers like Lawson, a spectacular crash ultimately ended without physical consequences for Verstappen.
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