Marko happy with one-two after fiasco in Brazil: 'Old ranking restored'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix together from the front row of the grid. The Dutchman managed to grab the last pole position of the season, while Perez crossed the line in second thanks to his teammate's slipstream. Helmut Marko looks back on qualifying with satisfaction.
"We haven't been first and second [in qualifying] for a long time," the Red Bull Racing adviser began to tell ServusTV. Indeed, the last time was four years ago in 2018 at the Mexican Grand Prix with Daniel Ricciardo and Verstappen.
After the incident in Brazil, where Verstappen refused to let his teammate past for sixth position, Marko is even happier with the result on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. "It is good to restore the old ranking. What encourages us even more are the long runs, in which we were better than Ferrari due to tyre degradation." The team aims to finish second in the Drivers' Championship with Perez this weekend. The Mexican driver is equal on points with P2 rival Charles Leclerc heading into Sunday's Grand Prix.
Marko counts on strong pace Ferrari and Mercedes
Despite Red Bull's strong pace, Marko is still keeping an eye on Ferrari and Mercedes. The gap towards the two top teams was wide, but the Red Bull advisor knows the race could look different. "I hope it continues like this on Sunday. Racing is another thing, because the start has to be successful. Besides Ferrari, Mercedes will probably be a force to reckon with again tomorrow [Sunday]," said the Austrian.