To be honest, we’ve missed the Dr Helmut Marko. There’s something oddly compelling about his excavations into the deepest levels of brutal bluntness and sheer sociopathy. The man simply cannot help himself.

The Daily Car Blog decided to retire the Mad Dog Marko nickname out of respect. The enemy had gone into retirement, and we assumed that meant we’d also be spared his incessant need to open his Austrian gob. But the gob can’t be retired so Mad Dog is ressurected.

So, what happened? He’s only gone and done another interview. And if there’s one thing we know about Mad Dog Marko, it’s that putting a microphone in front of him is like opening the gates to a barking competition. He simply doesn’t know when to stop.

During a recent media interview, Mad Dog trained his sights on George Russell and, like an Iranian hypersonic missile, struck his target with devastating accuracy. His verdict? At 28, Russell is past his prime.

Russell has endured a miserable season in what has been the fastest car on the grid. Personal mistakes and reliability issues have cost him valuable points, but it’s the lack of consistency that has really derailed his campaign.

Meanwhile, teammate Kimi Antonelli, who turned 20 midway through the season, has displayed remarkable composure. When he isn’t winning, he’s on the podium, and even on difficult weekends, he manages to salvage valuable points.

Antonelli is therefore firmly in the frame for the 2026 drivers’ title, having built a substantial points advantage over his rivals.

And that’s when Mad Dog decided to twist the knife. In his latest interview, he delivered another broadside at Russell.

“Mentally, it’s definitely a huge setback, and it’s a blow,” Marko said on Russell’s season. Russell is no longer the number one driver. Antonelli has clearly taken that spot from him.”

“I doubt he’ll ever have another shot at the world championship or get number one status anywhere.”

I am not sure how far into the future the Mad Dog can see, but he has the knives out for Russell, and he seemingly has vision while the rest of us wear bifocals.