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Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko believes that Max Verstappen is the most popular driver in Formula One at the moment.
In a time where the sport is being criticised for it's lack of characters compared to years gone by Dr. Marko says the hard-charging teenager stands out.
"Probably we are lacking strong personalities lately," Marko told the official Formula One website. "On top, there are drivers doing their last season, so they are complaining about Max, about safety, about anything."
"With Max, here is someone who is really young with a strong idea of what he wants - and he is not shy of trying to get it, of trying to be successful," he added. And the reaction of the fans plays to his advantage. I would say he is probably now the most popular driver on the grid - worldwide."
Marko also believes that the recent criticism of Verstappen from world champions Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen is nothing new and is a result of them feeling threatened by the Red Bull driver.
"Nothing is justified," Marko said. "Max is a different calibre. He has the traits of a future world champion and he is just doing what is necessary to get there. It obviously surprises some that this also involves overtaking and defending. If there had been something gravely wrong the stewards would have penalised him."
"It is a bit like when Michael Schumacher came in. I remember a race in Hockenheim when there was nearly a fistfight between him and Ayrton Senna - Senna the top dog at this time and Schumacher the new hopeful"
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