Marko sees Mercedes fast, but 'Red Bull has taken clear step forward'

After Max Verstappen was a full second off Bottas' best time in the first free practice session, the Red Bull Racing team took a clear step forward during the second practice session with Perez's time.

"Mercedes are very fast, but we made a clear step forward from the first to the second free practice," Helmut Marko told ORF. According to the Austrian, the long runs also looked good, so he is not worried about the rest of the weekend.

Distorted view of Verstappen

During the second practice, Verstappen sounded frustrated on the team radio several times. The Dutchman had trouble with the traffic on the track and gave up trying to set a fast lap. During the rest of the session, he focused on his long runs, so the P8 he set, in the end, gives a distorted picture.