Marko is hopeful after practice, but does not want 'to be too euphoric'

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Helmut Marko on Max Verstappen and sergio Perez's first sessions in Baku
14 September at 07:11
  • Olly Darcy
  • Editor

Friday in Baku looked pretty good for Red Bull Racing. However, Helmut Marko does not want to get too excited just yet about the RB20's performance during the first practice sessions at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he told Auto, Motor und Sport after Friday's sessions.

While Red Bull struggled at Zandvoort and Monza, the car seemed to be coping better on the Baku City Circuit. During the first practice session, Max Verstappen set the fastest time and Sergio Perez was third. During FP2, the Mexican was second, while the three-time world champion set the sixth fastest time.

Marko does not want to be too euphoric after Friday in Baku

Still, Marko does not want to be too happy after Friday: "We also made a good start in Monza. We don't want to be too euphoric about the performance. The track was still in bad shape. In terms of feeling, we look better again than in Monza. The drivers are feeling the car again."

Verstappen and Perez have driven different floors over the past few weekends after Red Bull brought updates to Baku for this weekend. From this, a comparison was made. Marko then stated that Perez's floor specification was more predictable than Verstappen's: "Max's was more toxic."

During both practice sessions, it became clear that Red Bull gained the most time in the corners and lost the most time on the straights. This is explainable, as Marko explained that the car was driven with relatively high downforce from the start: "Max was afraid the tyres would not hold up."

This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut

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