Marko defends Perez: 'Is in a bad position as Max's teammate'

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Marko defends Perez for position next to Verstappen
26 August at 16:45
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  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

Red Bull Racing have added another pole position to their list after Saturday at Zandvoort. Max Verstappen secured the best starting position for the Dutch Grand Prix, but Sergio Perez was stuck in P7. Helmut Marko explains the difference between the two drivers.

For a while it seemed to get exciting between Verstappen and Lando Norris, but in the end Verstappen still trailed the McLaren driver by more than half a second. Perez was 1.3 seconds behind his teammate.

Marko defends Perez

According to Marko, Red Bull made a mistake by allowing Perez an extra warm-up lap, while Verstappen did not. "I think with Sergio it was not the right decision that he did another warm-up lap," the 80-year-old Austrian told German Sky Sports.

At the same time, Marko stresses that this is not the full explanation for the difference between the Red Bull drivers. "Being a teammate next to Max is one of the worst positions to be in at the moment. And we also know that Sergio is not the best qualifier," Marko added.

He also again has high praise for Verstappen's performance. "To have a lead of six-tenths here, on this short circuit, is unimaginable. We thought it would be about a hundredth or a tenth," said a proud Marko.