Marko doesn't soft compound is best for sprint: 'I can't imagine'

With a place on the front row of the grid in sprint qualifying assured, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko still has plenty to play for. Asked for his views on the current balance of power between the top teams, the Austrian states that no firm conclusions can be drawn, given the times and long runs in Friday's first free practice session are not easily comparable.

"We apparently drove with a lot more petrol", Marko explains to Motorsport-Magazin. "That explains the considerably slower times of Verstappen. In addition, Mercedes drove at the beginning and Red Bull at the end of the session. It is impossible to draw any conclusions from this."

Strategy for sprint race

The experimental nature of the weekend at Silverstone has left many questions regarding the sprint race unanswered. For example, it remains unclear on which compound the drivers will start. Although Pirelli's top man Mario Isola initially thought the medium would be the best choice, there are now voices calling for the soft tyre as well.

Asked for his opinion Marko is immediately clear. He sees the soft tyre, which last year at Silverstone allowed race distances longer than the sprint race, as too great a risk. "With the soft it would be a very big risk. I can't imagine that", says Marko.

Speaking to Krone Marko clarifies the strategy for the sprint even further. The Austrian sees finding the balance between full racing and saving for the Grand Prix as the key. Marko: "You cannot risk [too much], but you have to make sure that you are in front. If you attack fully, have an accident or a defect, you will be at the bottom on Sunday. You have to make sure that you find the right mix."