GianPiero Lambiase’s bet against Max Verstappen revealed by Helmut Marko

Having learned his lesson in 2023 to never bet against Max Verstappen, Helmut Marko recuperated some of the money he lost in Abu Dhabi last season by betting on the Red Bull driver to reach the podium in Brazil.

Verstappen, went even better, as Marko put it, winning the grand prix from 17th on the grid.

Helmut Marko won’t bet against Max Verstappen, not again

Marko is no stranger to betting on Red Bull‘s star man ability to pull off the impossible. Last season, though, he bet against him with Marko not expecting a pole position or even a front row start for the Dutchman at the Abu Dhabi GP.

He laid down a €500 wager with Christian Horner and lost it when Verstappen bounced back from being half a second off the pace in FP3 to take pole position by a tenth ahead of Charles Leclerc.

“I never believed that we could come back for qualifying the way that we did,” he said. “I should have known Max!”

As for Verstappen, he hoped the motorsport advisor had “learned his lesson – never bet against me.”

A few months later as F1 2024 got underway in Bahrain, Marko was again betting on Verstappen, but this time he was backing the driver to the tune of €50. The wager was with GianPiero Lambiase as the race engineer doubted Verstappen could put his RB20 on pole.

Verstappen won the qualifying battle, and Marko the bet, although he had to share it with the driver.

“I earned €50, but I have to give €25 of that to Max – he’s a tough negotiator,” he laughed.

Lambiase was again the victim of a Marko bet in Brazil as they bet on whether or not Verstappen, who had to line up P17 on the grid, could reach the podium.

Marko said yes, Lambiase said no and Verstappen not only put his RB20 on the podium, but he won the race by a staggering 20 seconds.

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“With Max’s engineer, I bet Max would finish on the podium. GP didn’t think so,” Marko told De Telegraaf. “We put a hundred dollars on it.

“But I only said a podium and no victory… Max always wants to do better.”

Maybe next time Marko won’t doubt his World Champion, Verstappen having put in a mega drive in the rain at the Interlagos circuit to all but guarantee a fourth title as he now holds a 62-point lead over Lando Norris with only three races remaining.

“He was in a world of his own,” Marko told Sky Deutschland. “When he had a clear run, he flew. He executed sensational overtaking manoeuvres.

“I said he would make it to the podium, but in such a demonstration, everything blew up. It is the right response to everything that has happened recently.”

But while Verstappen has been applauded for his incredible car control in the wet, Marko revealed he too was calling for the race to be stopped when a heavy downpour hit the track.

“During the phase when there was so much rain, he strongly pleaded for the race to be stopped,” he said. “I don’t understand why they drove two dangerous laps.”

As for the World title, which would be a fourth successive championship for Verstappen, Marko simply said: “It is now within reach.”

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