Helmut Marko blames ‘setup error’ for Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s off-show in Austria

Helmut Marko blames ‘setup error’ for Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s off-show in Austria

Max Verstappen

Helmut Marko the Red Bull team adviser has recently shed light on why Max Verstappen was extremely slow compared to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz during the Austrian Grand Prix.

Helmut Marko has revealed that the RB18 was off the pace during the Grand Prix because the team made a mistake in selecting the correct setup for the race.

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Max Verstappen was hands down the fastest driver on Friday and Saturday as the Dutchman was on top in Qualifying and it the Sprint race, but on Sunday his pace was nowhere to be seen.

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Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were too quick for the 24-year-old as he struggled throughout the race to get performance out of the tires on his RB 18.

Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc making an overtake on Max Verstappen during the Austrian Grand Prix

Verstappen’s Austria outing could have turned out worse had Carlos Sainz’s F1-75 not caught fire and ruled him out during the closing stages. Moreover, he could have finished third, but because of a lucky break, was able to land his RB 18 in P2.

Also Read: “I made a mistake,” Sergio Perez disappointed about the first lap crash in Austria

Helmut Marko on Max Verstappen’s problems in Austria

Helmut Marko
Helmut Marko

Helmut Marko while dwelling on Verstappen’s result in Austria said, “The rear tires simply overheated, that was a mistake in the setup. After the Sprint we couldn’t anticipate this the way we wanted. The rain then also washed away all the rubber, which only made the situation more difficult.”

After having a tough weekend in Austria, the team is highly motivated and also confident that the problems they faced with their car in Austria are not going to haunt them again at Paul Ricard.

Moreover, Red Bull has indicated that in Austria they were not shocked after seeing the raw pace of Ferrari. “‘We were slow, Ferrari was not particularly fast”, concluded Marko.

Red Bull and Ferrari
Red Bull and Ferrari

Ferrari currently has the bragging rights in their corner, but with a new race, comes new opportunities and given the fighting spirit of Verstappen, the French Grand Prix could turn out to be a firecracker of an event.

Who do you think is going to come away with maximum points from the French Grand Prix?

Also Read: Esteban Ocon disappointed with possible exit of French Grand Prix next year.