Honda had to convince Marko: "Red Bull had its doubts until the end"

Red Bull Racing and Honda decided to replace Max Verstappen's engine for the Russian Grand Prix. That moment was imminent and Sochi proved to be the best possible choice, but Helmut Marko wasn't so sure initially.

So says Masashi Yamamoto, director of Honda F1. "It was a difficult decision," he says in conversation with AutosportWeb. "Red Bull had its doubts right up to the end." It took some convincing, then, especially for Helmut Marko.

"I told him I thought Russia would be a good choice for the new engine because overtaking is not impossible at Sochi Autodrom. Max would be able to overtake and get far upfront. He thought on Friday that it would be difficult, but he finished in second place in the end," Yamamoto continued.

"We are therefore happy to have put the new engine in here. Strategically, I am definitely satisfied", concludes the Honda chief. Meanwhile, it looks increasingly likely that Lewis Hamilton will also get an engine change, but it remains to be seen whether this will be as painless for him as it was for Verstappen.