Helmut Marko claims he ‘didn’t expect’ Max Verstappen to pull off the ‘magic lap’ that handed him P1 for the Emilia-Romagna GP

Max Verstappen put in a stellar outing during yesterday's qualifying session.

Helmut Marko claims he ‘didn’t expect’ Max Verstappen to pull off the ‘magic lap’ that handed him P1 for the Emilia-Romagna GP

Helmut Marko, Max Verstappen and Christian Horner (Via: IMAGO)

Max Verstappen yet again made the F1 world aware of his brilliance as he secured his seventh consecutive pole of the 2024 season. He clocked in a lap time of 1:14:746, almost a tenth faster than Oscar Piastri, who clocked in at P2 for the upcoming race but has to start from P5 for impeding Haas’s Kevin Magnussen during yesterday’s quali.

Max Verstappen had a fairly poor Imola weekend till qualifying compared to his usual level of performance, as he struggled through the practice sessions. However, he put together a stunning lap at the end of Q3 on Saturday, which impressed everyone and caught the eye of Red Bull team adviser, Helmut Marko.

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I did not expect this. I told Max beforehand that we needed a magic lap. We saw that one! 
Helmut Marko said in an interview with Sky DE

The 26-year-old was far from his usual best during qualifying this weekend, as he was being pressured by the likes of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, and the two Ferrari drivers. But the Dutchman surprised everyone with his pace, matching the all-time record set by F1 Legend, Ayrton Senna of eight consecutive career poles.

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Sergio Perez puts together a frustrating performance in qualifying

Red Bull faced two sides of the horizon during Imola quali. While Verstappen took the pole position in qualifying, his Mexican teammate, Sergio Perez failed to make it out of Q2 for the first time this year.

Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez (Via Imago)
That was a bit unfortunate. At first, he was driving on used soft tires, then on new soft tires, and he was surprised by the grip he had. I think he lost three-tenths at Turn 7, and that was enough [to be out in Q2] with the tight field.
Helmut Marko said in the same interview

Sergio Perez has been in decent form during the ongoing campaign, with the six-time race winner scoring 103 points in six races. However, his poor performance in qualifying has caused a bit of concern in the Red Bull garage.

After the recent qualifying, up next awaits an exciting 63-lap race around the Enzo E Dino Ferrari racing circuit. Top outfits like Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari will be seen banging wheels, and considering this, the upcoming event could prove to be an extremely exciting watch.

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