Helmut Marko has warned that Max Verstappen could become a potential "time bomb" should the DNFs continue.

While we are only three races into the season, the fact is that 2021 world champion, Max Verstappen is currently sixth in the standings, 46 points adrift of championship leader Charles Leclerc, and five points behind his own teammate, Sergio Perez.

Though the Dutchman won in Saudi Arabia, he has yet to score a pole position and has suffered two DNFs.

This season, certainly if we go by the radio messages, we have witnessed a far edgier Verstappen, sometimes bordering on panic, and Helmut Marko fears that if the DNF's continue the youngster could become a "time bomb".

"He is a lot calmer," Marko tells Austria's ORF. "After his retirement, he returned to the pit box and we discussed things calmly," he adds, referring to the Melbourne race.

"However, in this case, we knew we could run into that problem, because we also had to deal with that in qualifying, so it didn't come out of the blue in that regard," he admits.

"He is an emotional and passionate driver who will always give his opinion. But, in my view, he is a lot calmer, calmer than in the past."

However, this year teammate Sergio Perez appears that little bit more confident in the car, and claiming pole - his first in F1 - at Jeddah, has emphasised a possible threat to the de facto team leader.

"With the set-up of the car, you sometimes lack the confidence to maintain his extreme driving style," says Marko. "You can see that this makes Checo closer to him than in the past.

"If we don't win again soon, then he is indeed a time bomb!" warns the Austrian.