Marko hails 'masterful' Verstappen as Red Bull discovery revealed

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has hailed Max Verstappen's "masterful" display at the Japanese Grand Prix after the four-time F1 champion converted pole position into victory.

Verstappen controlled the dry race at Suzuka and never allowed McLaren's Lando Norris to be within one second. 

Verstappen made an excellent start and retained the lead into the first corner, after which he had Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri in his mirrors for the remainder.

The 27-year-old only endured one contentious moment during the race as he and Norris exited the pits together after their only stop for fresh tyres after 21 laps, with the Briton forced onto the grass. 

Verstappen's victory has moved him just a point behind Norris in the F1 title fight, with Marko recognising his driver's staggering display.

"He made no mistakes and drove absolutely on the limit. Only he can do that," Marko told Sky DE. 

Marko also revealed that McLaren's MCL39 was "actually the faster car," but Verstappen "always controlled the gap".

The 81-year-old later described Verstappen's performance as "masterful", before explaining what Red Bull did to improve the RB21 across the weekend in Japan after it struggled on Friday.

Marko explained: "[The car was improved] by completely changing the setup [for qualifying] and tightening the right screws."