Marko disappointed: 'Nothing worked during Verstappen's second run'
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Max Verstappen finished in P5 in qualifying, but gained a place after Nico Hulkenberg received a three-place grid penalty. Red Bull's external advisor, Helmut Marko said he was very optimistic after the first run, but it turned out that the Dutchman failed to improve during his second lap.
Marko on Verstappen's Q3 in Abu Dhabi
Following the session, Helmut Marko was asked about the moment that nearly ended qualifying early for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver lost his car exiting the final corner, but did well to save the RB20. Indeed, the 81-year-old Austrian thinks Verstappen was just too eager. "That must be the case. Because he was slower in all three sectors than in the previous round [Q2]," he told Sky Sports Germany.
"We were very optimistic after the first run. Max not only almost lost the car at Turn 16, but also two tenths. We thought before the second run: if you 'correct' the time by two tenths, that's enough for the front row. But in the second run, nothing worked at all," Marko said disappointedly after Saturday's session.
The Dutchman will thus start the race from P4, while teammate Sergio Perez will have to start from the fifth row of the grid in the tenth starting spot. After Hulkenberg's penalty, the two McLarens and Carlos Sainz will start ahead of Verstappen.
This articles was written in collaboration with Estéban den Toom
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