Helmut Marko takes a clever jibe at Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari over Australian GP pitstops

Helmut Marko took a dig at Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's botched pitstop after Max Verstappen took a podium at the Australian GP.

Helmut Marko takes a clever jibe at Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari over Australian GP pitstops

Lewis Hamilton (via Ferrari), Helmut Marko (via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton‘s debut race with Ferrari in Australia was disappointing, to say the least. The Briton was expecting to contend for the race victory but things didn’t go as planned. Ferrari’s botched pitstop strategy caused Hamilton to fall desperately down the pecking order. As a result, the 40-year-old could only finish in P10, losing two positions overall. Now, Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has taken a dig at Maranello’s wrong call in Australia.

Max Verstappen showcased a great consistent drive at the Australian GP and finished P2, just behind Lando Norris. Red Bull also deployed a risky strategy and stopped a bit later than expected which could have cost them the race. However, the gamble paid off as the Dutchman was able to hold onto the track position and secure a podium finish, effectively gaining one position on-track.

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Helmut Marko shared his thoughts on the successful strategy at the Australian GP. The Austrian noted that the team was very satisfied with the result. Moreover, the 81-year-old revealed that the tire wear in the RB21 was simply too high as compared to McLaren. Hence, Marko accepted that the team needed to work on this aspect to get better results and come close to replicating Woking’s challenger pace.

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We are very satisfied with the result. Our tire consumption is simply too high, to have a real chance, it should have rained more. McLaren is better than us when it comes to tire wear, it’s an aspect on which we have to work a lot.

Helmut Marko said, as reported by formulapassion.it

Marko recalled that the outcome wouldn’t be much different even if Red Bull decided to go with the original plan and stop one lap before. As a result, the Austrian believed that it was worth taking the risk and pit later. Finally, the 81-year-old took a direct jibe at Ferrari’s botched pitstop that cost Lewis Hamilton his position. He joked that Red Bull at least didn’t wait to pit as long as the Scuderia and sabotage their own races.

Even if we had returned a lap earlier, we would still have finished in second position after the stop. I think it was worth the risk. At least we didn’t wait as long as Ferrari…

Helmut Marko added

Helmut Marko compliments Max Verstappen and his race engineer’s communication

Max Verstappen has been closely working with Gianpiero Lambiase (GP) as his radio engineer since the former’s debut in 2016. The two shared some extremely hilarious moments on team radio in the past and have also showcased the utmost respect for one another. GP’s crucial messages during the race helped Verstappen finish in P2 despite difficulties at the rain-laden Melbourne circuit.

Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase showcasing Verstappen's four championship win (via Red Bull)
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase showcasing Verstappen’s four championship wins (via Red Bull)

Helmut Marko applauded this bond between Verstappen and GP. Marko highlighted that the two were like actors who had a script and knew exactly what to say. The 81-year-old further claimed that the two were very well ‘attuned’ to one another. Moreover, the Austrian believed that the 27-year-old had the quality to communicate his feelings clearly on the radio during any situation, which further helped.

They are like actors, as if they have been given a script and know exactly what to say. Max and GP are very well attuned to each other. And Max has the quality to communicate clearly on the radio, in any situation.

Helmut Marko told De Telegraaf

Max Verstappen aims to ‘keep pushing’ in the upcoming races

Max Verstappen has already accepted that Red Bull won’t be the fastest in the initial races of the 2025 season. However, following a difficult but positive outing in Australia, Verstappen is confident to keep up with the performances. The Dutchman took to X to share his thoughts regarding the season-opener and the rest of the 2025 season.

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen (via Motorsport.com)

Verstappen asserted that the race was full of tricky conditions but still labeled it as ‘good fun’. The Dutchman pointed out that finishing P2 was a solid start to the 2025 season. Moreover, the 27-year-old aimed to keep pushing himself in terms of performing better throughout the season.

Tricky conditions but good fun! Solid start, let’s keep pushing.

Max Verstappen said in an X post, @Max33Verstappen

Red Bull still has a lot of work pending on the RB21 challenger to compete with McLaren at the forefront. Milton Keynes’ dismal outing at the Australian GP, especially with Liam Lawson cost them great points. Hence, the Austrian constructor must work harder on their pace and ensure that such mistakes are not committed to maximize their championship contention chances.