Helmut Marko's just given us a proper look behind the curtain of that absolutely mental 2021 championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The Red Bull legend's calling it what it was: toxic. Speaking to Auto Hebdo, Marko didn't hold back about how rough things got inside the garages when these two titans went to war across the entire season. He's admitted that whilst Verstappen eventually won the title, the whole experience wasn't exactly pleasant for anyone involved, including himself.

More F1 news: Guenther Steiner: Mercedes Don't Need Max Verstappen Anymore, They've Got Kimi Antonelli

Looking back, Marko reckons Red Bull had the better package early on, but everything shifted after that massive crash at Silverstone. Hamilton's hit to the wall was brutal, and Marko's noted that from there, Mercedes responded with a special engine that gave them a serious speed boost. The dynamics of the fight completely changed, turning into what he's described as less of a sporting competition and more of a straight-up war. Penalty points started flying around, strategy got absolutely mental, and the whole thing became this grinding battle of wills rather than clean racing.

More F1 news: Bearman's Ferrari Dream Gets Complicated as Hamilton Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

Marko's also reflected on how Verstappen matured through the pressure cooker that season. The Dutchman figured out how to think about championship points rather than just winning races, especially in moments like Brazil where Hamilton was trying to make overtaking near impossible. But the Red Bull advisor was clear about one thing: despite getting the win, the atmosphere was anything but pleasant. He's even said the 2021 title was the hardest championship to experience compared to other memorable moments in Verstappen's career.

More F1 news: Max Verstappen is a Free Agent and Mercedes and McLaren Are Making a Huge Mistake

It's interesting hearing from someone inside the Red Bull camp about how much of a toll that season took. Marko's acknowledged that Hamilton was actually better in certain areas, and that the battle brought out the absolute best in both drivers. But there's no sugarcoating it, the whole thing was draining and messy. Looking at how different the F1 paddock is now, it's clear that chapter's well and truly closed, but the scars from 2021 are still pretty fresh.

Shop the collection: Max Verstappen merch  •  Lewis Hamilton merch  •  Red Bull Racing merch  •  Mercedes-AMG merch  •  Scuderia Ferrari merch