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Red Bull boss Helmut Marko likened reigning world champion Max Verstappen to a ‘time bomb’ - and warned the Dutchman could explode if he doesn’t get another win in 2022 soon.

Verstappen won his maiden drivers’ title in acrimonious circumstances in Abu Dhabi last year when he pipped Lewis Hamilton to the championship. However, the 24-year-old has struggled in the defence of his crown this season.

While Red Bull have constructed a competitive car, reliability has proved to be an issue. Verstappen failed to finish in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and the Australian Grand Prix last time out, with both races won by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen won the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia, but Leclerc came second. The Monegasque driver now has a 46-point lead over the Dutchman - and Marko believes the Red Bull star needs a win soon.

The Austrian, who works as an advisor to the Red Bull F1 team, suggested Verstappen - who Marko signed to Red Bull’s junior teams in 2014 - will explode if his fortunes don't change soon. The handling of the 2022 car, the RB18, has made it more difficult for Verstappen to take advantage of his aggressive driving style.

“With the set-up of the car, you sometimes lack the confidence to maintain his [Verstappen’s] extreme driving style,” Marko said after Verstappen’s DNF in Melbourne. “You can see that this makes Checo [Perez] closer to him than in the past. If we