Marko on Verstappen's secret test: 'We had serious problems'

Helmut Marko has clarified Red Bull Racing's secret test in Imola in a conversation with Motorsport.com. Max Verstappen is said to have tested there with the RB18 mainly to see what the problems are with the handling of the current car.

On Friday morning, it was revealed that Verstappen and Red Bull had conducted a secret test at the Imola circuit. Verstappen reportedly drove a good number of laps there with the RB18, the 2022 car. That story has been confirmed by Red Bull Racing. Marko explained why this was chosen.

"We won the race in Imola, but that was purely down to Max. We had serious problems with the handling of the car there," Marko revealed. According to the Austrian, the two-year-old car could serve as a reference point for the problems with the current car. Those problems emerge especially on circuits with bumps and high kerbstones.

Therefore, the test should have ensured that Verstappen and Red Bull now know more about the car and how to fix the problems in the future. For now, Red Bull's main focus should be on the race weekend in Barcelona. Verstappen was still struggling with the balance of the car during the second free practice on Friday, falling a few tenths short of the fastest times. Verstappen closed FP2 in fifth place.