A BULLISH WARNING TO RIVALS

RED BULL chief Helmut Marko has fired a hands-off warning to Mercedes, saying: “Max Verstappen is our greatest asset.”

- BY DANIEL MOXON

The Silver Arrows are courting the four-time world champion, with Brit George Russell the fall guy if they get the Dutchman.

For Marko - Verstappen's closest ally in F1 apart from his father Jos and manager Raymond Vermeulen - it is critical that the 27-year-old remains with the team.

The 82-year-old Red Bull special adviser said: “Max is our greatest asset. We have achieved most of our successes in recent years mainly thanks to him.”

Verstappen slipped through Mercedes’ grasp once before, as a teenager, when he rejected Toto Wolff to sign with Red Bull.