Marko saw Verstappen lose pole: 'Max lost one and a half tenths there'

The last corner. That's according to Helmut Marko where Max Verstappen lost the pole position to Charles Leclerc. The Red Bull Racing chief therefore thinks there could have been more in it for Verstappen, but is nevertheless satisfied with the result of qualifying.

Marko has nothing but praise for the huge progress Ferrari has made compared to previous years. "The Ferrari engine is going like a rocket," he said in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport. According to Marko, this is also reflected in the customer teams: both Alfa Romeo and Haas qualified a car in the top ten.

Marko optimistic about chances in race

Verstappen and Leclerc fought an intense battle for pole position, which the Dutchman lost in the last corner, according to Marko. "Max unfortunately lost one and a half tenths in the last corner," said the Austrian. He adds that the cause was probably due to the varying tire temperatures.

"The tyres were either too cold at the beginning of the lap or too hot at the end of the lap," continued Marko, who thinks Red Bull has excellent papers for Sunday's race. The long runs showed that the RB18 handles well with the Pirelli tyres. "That makes us optimistic," said Marko.