Marko: 'We were not right with set-up, especially with Verstappen'
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- Toby McLuskie
Helmut Marko knows there is work to be done for Red Bull Racing after the first free practice session in Monaco. Sergio Perez drove the fourth time, while Max Verstappen did not get beyond sixth position. On mediums, the gap with number one Carlos Sainz was about seven-tenths. Consequently, the Milton Keynes-based racing stable's advisor is not satisfied after FP1.
"To sum it up in a nutshell: what worked perfectly in the simulator cannot be achieved on the track," he jokes to ServusTV. Heading into the second free practice, the RB19 is going to undergo quite a shake-up. "We need to make some changes to the car. Hopefully, we will get it right in FP2."
Verstappen with wrong set-up
In terms of setup, some different things are going to be tried. On the narrow track, traction and speed in the slow corners are especially important. Ferrari seems to have mastered that well, but for Red Bull, there is still quite a lot of progress to be made there. "It is clear that we were not right with the set-up, especially with Max," he said.
Marko sees that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are motivated to the hilt to take victory. "Max wants to win here and Perez wants to defend his victory. But we need to give them a car first so they can achieve that," he is critical of how the first session of the weekend went for Red Bull.