F1 News
Marko has good news for Verstappen: 'This was an old engine'
- Ludo van Denderen
And then there was smoke from the back of Max Verstappen's Red Bull. Not a good sign for an F1 car. Well before the clock reached zero during the very wet second practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen had to watch as diligent mechanics tinkered with the engine of his RB20. A new power unit, was initially suspected, as Red Bull had just announced through the FIA that Verstappen had been given a new PU for the weekend. But Helmut Marko had good news for the Dutchman's fans.
"No, this is not a new, but an old engine," Red Bull's external advisor told Motorsport.com. That announcement was no surprise by the way, as it is normal for teams to run their laps with an 'old' engine on the Friday of a GP weekend, especially if a brand new PU is going to be used over the weekend.
Marko not panicking after problems Verstappen
To find out exactly what the problem was with Verstappen's car, the engine will be taken apart completely, Marko reveals. What is certain is that it is "on the electrical side" of the powerplant. An additional drawback of the problems was that Verstappen was hardly able to make any metres in Montreal. "To find a good set-up, let's hope that the final practice goes dry. If we get at least one dry practice, it doesn't have to be so painful yet," Marko said.
There was also a positive: Marko indicated in Canada that after all the problems in Monaco, "something" has been found which must have been the cause. "I don't necessarily think it's in the DNA of our car. It's more a combination of factors. At least at the moment it looks better than in Monte Carlo," the advisor stated, despite Verstappen's lack of mileage in Montreal on Friday.