Marko contradicts rumours about Perez: 'That is of course nonsense'

Helmut Marko hopes Sergio Perez will manage to secure second place in the world championship in the final races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. For now, the Mexican is five points ahead of pursuer Charles Leclerc, so the battle is not over yet. He tells this in an interview with Auto, Motor und Sport.

According to Marko, the 2022 race year was his team's best ever season. "Yes, because the competition is much bigger and better," he explains. The consultant finds it difficult to say whether the performance was down to the car or the driver. "It's because of both. At the beginning of the season, you saw that Max was as fast as Perez with a car that did not suit his driving style. When the car suits him, he is half a second faster."

Marko analyses Perez's performance

With Verstappen winning the world title and taking the constructors' championship, Red Bull has all the prizes. However, Marko is trying to set new goals with the team and therefore hopes to go for second place in the rankings with Perez. "When you have achieved everything else, then you go for such treats. You also need an incentive for people to stay motivated."

At the beginning of the season, Perez still managed to keep up with his teammate, but that soon changed when Red Bull made some changes. According to Marko, however, the Austrians did not choose between the drivers. "That is of course nonsense. The biggest problem was the big overweight."