Marko: 'Maybe that change had the opposite effect on Verstappen'

Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko thinks the team may have made a mistake with the change of setup on Max Verstappen's car. The Dutchman was able to follow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc for a long time, but did not get beyond three failed overtaking attempts.

Fight between Leclerc and Verstappen

The Bahrain Grand Prix provided a great fight between Verstappen and Leclerc. For many laps the two drivers were right behind each other, but every time Verstappen made an overtaking move, it was parried by Leclerc who took back the first place a straightaway.

Marko says Verstappen's tires deteriorated the moment the Dutchman had to set the pace. "Contrary to expectations, our tyre degradation was higher than Ferrari's," the 78-year-old Austrian revealed to Auto, Motor und Sport.

Tuning change was possibly wrong decision

According to Marko, Red Bull continued to drive the car below its potential. "Maybe the setup change from Friday to Saturday had the opposite effect on Max," he adds. In the end, it all made little difference, as Verstappen had to abandon his race just before the end with technical problems.