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reaction marko after race saudi arabia 2023

Marko on extra point for Verstappen: "Was uncontrollable, that's Max"

19 March 2023 at 19:37
  • GPblog.com

Helmut Marko is a satisfied man after the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. Max Verstappen took the fastest lap of the day in the final lap (and thus the lead in the World Championship). It put a smile on the 79-year-old top man's face.

"We already assumed it would be podium [for Max]. But it was still a bit of a squeeze because he was suffering from vibrations again," Marko told Austrian television station ORF. Verstappen and Perez were instructed to drive a certain pace and stop attacking each other for the win. "They stuck to that relatively well," he said.

Yet on the very last lap, Verstappen pressed the accelerator deep once more. "Typical Max on the last lap with the fastest race lap. That was uncontrollable. That's just Max. Both were constantly asking who had the fastest lap and Max waited until the last lap so Perez couldn't counter. It means the lead in the world championship for him. We are very satisfied with the race."

Perez holds his own

Marko is happy with Perez's Grand Prix win, which he sees getting better and better. "The whole weekend was great and since he has been with us, he has improved every year. You can see that in the almost equal position in the championship," the adviser said.