F1 News
Delight for Perez with rare moment of praise from Marko
- Jeroen Immink
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was satisfied after qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix. Beforehand, expectations showed concern for Red Bull, but with Max Verstappen on P2 and Sergio Perez on P5, the Austrian racing team has a good starting position for the race. Meanwhile, Marko commented on his drivers' performance.
Marko: 'One of Perez's best qualifying sessions'
After qualifying at Zandvoort, Marko praised Perez who is currently under the magnifying glass. "This is one of his best qualifying sessions for a long time. If he holds this position after the start, in terms of strategy, it is always better if you have two cars quite close together," Marko told Motorsport-magazin.com.
The consultant then explained that Red Bull has made strides over the weekend. "Our build-up work went in the right direction and after the somewhat bumpy practice sessions, where we were always around fifth, this was the right step. We put more downforce on the car. But you could still see that the balance is not as perfect as with the McLaren. Max really had to fight," Marko said.
Marko holds out hope for Verstappen in the race
Verstappen said after qualifying that the gap with Lando Norris might be too big, but Marko remains optimistic. "If we look at the statistics, Lando is not exactly the strongest at the start. We still have that hope. And the temperature will also be very decisive tomorrow. Overtaking is very difficult, almost impossible on the track. But I think we are still in the race," Marko concluded.
This article has been written in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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