Marko: "Hamilton phoned us several times last year"

On Saturday afternoon, Helmut Marko's Red Bull Racing team qualified in P5 and P9 with the Dutchman finishing ahead of his teammate again. The advisor of the Austrian race team support's Albon after qualifying at Monza.

"He has improved his performance," he tells the German branch of Sky. The difference with Verstappen was three-tenths on Saturday afternoon. "Three-tenths on Max Verstappen, that's something you have to achieve."

Marko critical of Hamilton

After the Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton said he thought Red Bull was missing a good second driver next to Verstappen. Christian Horner called that earlier 'ironic' and also Marko can't do much with the remark of the six-time world champion. "I don't quite understand that either"

Last season Hamilton would have been a fan of the British Thai. "Hamilton phoned us several times last year to put Albon in the car. He was almost three tenths behind Max today, so that's an increase and that's acceptable. Of course, he should come closer. Let's see how things go in tomorrow's race. These statements are not quite comprehensible to me", the 77-year-old Austrian repeats.