Marko: 'That shows that Hamilton is not prepared to accept opposition'

Lewis Hamilton is under pressure. This is according to Red Bull chief Helmut Marko noticeable by the unusual mistakes Hamilton made during the race in Imola. He is convinced that Max Verstappen in combination with the strong Red Bull is driving the reigning world champion into those mistakes.

Hamilton and Mercedes are no longer used to having serious opposition. "That's the case now with Max Verstappen and Red Bull," Marko said in an interview with RTL. "And apparently that, understandably, leads to reactions." He goes on to say that Verstappen is at an advantage because he is the challenger in the championship and therefore has less to lose than Hamilton.

Hamilton accepts no opposition'

Marko said he was surprised to see how hard Hamilton defended during Verstappen's overtake in Imola. "I found it astonishing that Hamilton didn't give up while driving on the outside at the first corner because it was clear he couldn't win this fight," the Austrian said. "That shows that Hamilton is not prepared to accept opposition. He is resisting it with vehemence."

The duel in the first corners of Imola showed, according to Marko, that these are two absolute top drivers. "When you shoot into the corner together, it's not about strategy anymore. Then it becomes a battle of man to man. That's very nice for the audience, but for us as a team the stress levels increase considerably," Marko said.