Marko: "Then it won't just be a battle between Verstappen and Mercedes"

It looked like qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix would be decided on a few hundredths, but Max Verstappen and George Russell' s gap at the end was a comfortable three-tenths difference. That margin reassured Helmut Marko, he told the paddock at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez afterwards.

"They were closer than we thought for a long time," Marko told ServusTV. In the third free practice, the Mercedes were quite a bit faster than Verstappen, but the Milton Keynes-based team had not become worried. "We already suspected that Mercedes was not driving with the same amount of fuel in VT3 as we were," he said.

Conditions were tricky and the track evolved considerably between Q1 and Q3. So for Verstappen, it was important to peak at the right time. "All the cars were slipping, so it was not easy to warm up the tyres correctly. Max did well everywhere except the second sector, but to be three tenths ahead on such a short lap is reassuring," said the Red Bull consultant.

Red Bull vs Mercedes in Mexico

Mercedes is aiming for its first win this season and with Perez starting from P4, Verstappen has to defend his pole initially on his own merits. "They want to win a race at all costs, I think. But the race has a very long straight, so it won't be easy to overtake us. That's an advantage, of course, but it will still be close. Especially if the tyre wear is much better for Mercedes. But let's wait and see how the temperatures develop."

Still, Perez could play a significant role, Marko believes. "Perez, who by the way has been closer to Max all weekend than he has been for a long time, will also play a role tomorrow. I expect him to be strong in the race, then it won't just be a battle between Max and Mercedes."