Marko: 'Verstappen would have been two to three tenths faster in Gasly's car'

Pierre Gasly qualified with the fifth fastest time for the Bahrain Grand Prix, and according to Helmut Marko, the AT02 with Max Verstappen behind the wheel might even have been good for a P3. It shows that the AlphaTauri of 2021 is very competitive.

In an interview with Motorsport-Total.com Marko hinted that the potential of the AlphaTauri car has not yet been fully exploited. "I would say Max would have squeezed out at least two or three more tenths in qualifying. He would certainly not have been on pole though", the 77-year-old Austrian said.

Gasly must prove himself

With a three tenths lead, Verstappen could have passed Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) in the AT02 at the Bahrain International Circuit on Saturday during qualifying. For Gasly, his starting position didn't really matter one day later, as a collision with Daniel Ricciardo forced the 25-year-old to change his front wing early in the race. He was unable to make up the lost ground.

Gasly will have to prove himself this season at the Faenza based team. His biggest rival is Yuki Tsunoda. If he doesn't beat the Japanese rookie as a teammate, he can forget about joining Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen in 2022. However, much will depend on the performance of current driver Sergio Perez.