Marko after P4 for Verstappen: 'We didn't get that right, don't know why'

A P4 for Max Verstappen and a P6 for Sergio Perez. That was what Red Bull Racing - supreme in Japan a fortnight ago - had to make do with in sprint qualifying on Friday. Helmut Marko saw rain throw a spanner in the works for the Austrian racing team.

Rain hinders Red Bull

"The decisive factor was getting the temperature in the tyres. The best example of this is Hamilton. He first slid around hopelessly and then changed his tyres, probably with a higher air pressure, and suddenly he was competitive," Marko analysed the sprint shootout in conversation with Servustv.

Verstappen and Perez drove with the same tyre pressure at the Shanghai International Circuit, yet the former had more problems with his tyre temperature which has left Red Bull confused. "Perez was competitive, he could have got to the front without his slide. With Max, we just couldn't get the temperature right, we don't know why," the consultant said.

When it was still dry in SQ1, Perez was fastest, and Verstappen drove the third fastest time. That gives Marko confidence. "We were ahead in the dry sessions. We found a fault in Max's car and we also made small changes that had a positive effect. So we are optimistic that when qualifying is wet tomorrow, we will find the reason why we couldn't get the tyres up to temperature."

Marko criticises

The 80-year-old Austrian concluded by criticising the FIA. In his view, making the Chinese Grand Prix a sprint weekend was unwise, as there was no racing between 2020 and 2023. "I think the starting grid shows, with both Sauber cars [Stake F1 Team] in the top 10, that it was a bit of a lottery. The combination of sprinting and a circuit where you haven't raced ground-effect cars before is a bit on the borderline."