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Marko sees tire advantage Red Bull: 'Ferrari has only one set of hards'
Helmut Marko argues that Red Bull Racing may well have a strategic advantage in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Austrian team has saved on a set of hard tires this weekend. Furthermore, Marko is not counting on gifts from the Ferrari strategists at the Baku circuit.
Tires Ferrari and Red Bull
"We also have the advantage with the tires that we have two sets of the hard compound available, Ferrari has only one. And with the high temperatures, that can also make a difference," Marko told Sky. However, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both have one more set of mediums than Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
According to Pirelli, on paper, a one-stop is the fastest strategy, but safety cars, for example, can ensure that other strategies are faster at the end of the race. It is expected that the men at the front will at least start on mediums and then switch to hard tires. After that Red Bull can switch to a new set of hard tyres, Ferrari has unused mediums. The degree of tire degradation will determine what the best choice was.
The Azerbaijani Grand Prix is often one full of spectacle and chaos. The strategists behind the pit wall must therefore be able to make split-second decisions. Red Bull has proven on several occasions not to suffer from that pressure, but Ferrari made a hopeless mistake in Monaco. Marko thinks the team from Maranello will get revenge. "I think Monaco was an exceptional situation and Monte Carlo has its own laws. They are also very, very good in this area."
