Marko admits Baku's calendar position helped him stay at Red Bull
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- Corwin Kunst
Helmut Marko is expecting a lot from Sergio Perez this weekend. Not so much a win and maybe not even a podium finish, but the Mexican should come a little closer to Max Verstappen again. The 81-year-old Austrian hopes the veteran can regain his old form on the street circuits over the next two Grands Prix.
Marko does not expect much from the RB20 in Baku or Singapore (next week). Things should improve again only in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas. Still, the next two weekends are ideal for Perez to gain confidence. The Red Bull Racing team advisor believes in conversation with Kleine Zeitung.
Perez in Baku
In recent seasons, Perez has shown that he can handle the narrow streets of the Azerbaijani capital well. The 34-year-old driver is the only driver in Formula 1 to win twice in Baku and has scored the most points in Baku's history. Even if he fails to score this weekend, he will keep that record.
The fact that this year's Formula 1 race in Baku is being held after the summer break - unlike last year - also played a role in the decision to keep Perez, according to Marko. "That was one of the reasons why we continued with him. He is a specialist in street circuits like this, and I hope he regains his old form here."
Norris can start catching up again
What's in store for Red Bull this weekend? "If things go optimally for us, then a podium might be possible," said Marko, who therefore reckons that Lando Norris will once again manage to narrow the gap to Max Verstappen. However, he does not think that will affect Verstappen's mood. "No, because he has seen that he is being listened to now and that the problems are being taken seriously. At the moment, though, the set-up of the car is still a bit of a lottery, especially in Baku and Singapore."
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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