F1 News
Marko critical of Perez: 'He didn't do this well'
Helmut Marko is delighted after qualifying, and the Red Bull Racing advisor is especially impressed by Verstappen's performance. The Dutchman took pole position despite the challenging conditions at the Miami circuit. Incidentally, he is critical of Perez, who finished fourth.
Marko explained to ORF what made this qualifying session so tricky. "The most important thing was not to overload the tyres in the first sector, so you still have grip in the last part of the lap. But looking at the times and the complaining from all the drivers, the conditions were not optimal for anyone."
Marko saw desperate Mercedes and struggling Perez
"Max found the right compromise," Marko explained. He continued: "Mercedes even switched to mediums, which shows desperation. But it also shows that nobody was in control. Fortunately, Verstappen knew how to cope with the tricky conditions."
Finally, the Austrian is critical of Sergio Perez, Verstappen's teammate. "It is difficult to find the right balance between precision and driving as hard as possible. There's also a bit of luck involved, because if you slip once it's immediately over. Perez didn't manage it as well as Max did."