Marko disappointed with the VSC timing: 'It came out at the wrong time'

Marko let down by VSC timing but happy with Red Bull pace

"The positive is that we are back. We had the fastest car in this sprint race. Unfortunately, it took too long to overtake Leclerc, but the speed and tyre degradation were really good. This is also reflected in the fact that Checo set the fastest lap. Unfortunately, the virtual safety car came at the wrong time," said Marko in a conversation with Viaplay.

The 81-year-old Austrian is positive about the progress Red Bull seems to have made in terms of race pace. "It is the first time in a long time that we are competitive again. And as I said, also the tyre wear, which was also a weakness of ours, was really good. Given the speed, I think if we can also maintain this on both the hard and medium tyres, we can fight for victory even on the bumpy surface tomorrow," he continued.

So what exactly is it that makes Red Bull suddenly competitive again? "If you knew exactly, you would be very happy," laughed Marko. "It's something very small. One of the problems of the car is that the smallest changes have a big effect. The range in which the car works is very limited. So you have to be very careful about what you change so you stay within the window in which the tyres work."

Marko is also satisfied with Perez. The Mexican qualified 13th but managed to get back into the points as well as posting the fastest lap. "He drove a good race. And as I said, he drove the fastest lap, so all in all we are happy," Marko said.

This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton