'We always have the joker' - Max Verstappen edge highlighted over Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Helmut Marko has labelled Max Verstappen as Red Bull's "joker" on whom the team can always rely to conjure a result when the chips are down.

Marko has no doubt Red Bull will again be leaning heavily on Verstappen this year, particularly with a new team-mate Liam Lawson, in its battle with McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The Red Bull advisor is hoping Norris and Piastri will continue to take points off one another, as was the case last term when McLaren refused to make either its number one driver until siding with the Briton later in the year.

Although the duo combined to help McLaren end its long wait for a constructors' title, Verstappen did enough to score a fourth consecutive drivers' championship.

"I rate Piastri as strong and so I hope that they keep points away from each other, which we can take advantage of," said Marko to sport.de.

"Max is clearly our number one, and I don't think Piastri will voluntarily declare himself second driver. At some circuits [last year] he was just as fast, if not faster than Lando."

Red Bull's undoing in its quest for a third successive constructors' title lay at the door of the underperforming Sergio Perez, who scored a wretched 49 points from the final 18 grands prix following a reasonably solid start in the first six.

Red Bull also struggled with the performance of its RB20 for a long period, which is when Verstappen delivered results seemingly far beyond the capability of the car.

If this year's RB21 fails to deliver, Marko at least knows Verstappen will not be found wanting.

"If the car is not optimal, we always have the joker, Max, who can put his brilliance on display," said Marko.