Helmut Marko claims Max Verstappen was ‘lucky’ not to end up in the wall at Baku while praising Sergio Perez

Max Verstappen encountered issues during the race, and had a couple of close calls with the barriers

Max Verstappen, Helmut Marko and Sergio Perez

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix witnessed a familiar sight this season, with the Red Bulls of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen crossing the line in first and second. The Mexican inherited the race lead from his counterpart courtesy of the Safety Car and converted it into a win. Verstappen managed to re-overtake Charles Leclerc and secure second place.

Things were quite smooth for Sergio Perez throughout the race, in stark contrast to that of Max Verstappen. On top of losing his lead after a pitstop call due to bad luck, he also encountered issues with the balance of his car. He also struggled to keep his tires at the optimal temperature, with the overheating causing him a severe loss of grip. This led to the Dutchman kissing the barrier several times, nearly binning his RB19 into the walls. It is a common occurrence at the narrow, quick circuit.

Helmut Marko, advisor, and consultant to Red Bull, spoke to SkySports Germany about the performances of the two leaders. He said, “We were also lucky: Verstappen did kiss the wall four times. Perez was a bit less of a kisser.” He spoke of how Perez’s race was nearly perfect and how he avoided close calls by ending up in the barriers.

Once Verstappen’s issues were resolved toward the race’s climax, he seemed to apply pressure on Perez. The Mexican managed a near-perfect race, however, overtaking Charles Leclerc at the start and keeping Verstappen behind him. He deserves Marko’s praise, and his skillset at street circuits was showcased brilliantly.

Sergio Perez desires an equal footing as a contender

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen via Okezone Sports

Red Bull contracted the experienced driver from Mexico to be the man to support their prodigy and superstar, Max Verstappen. He was initially the perfect wingman to the Dutchman, playing a pivotal role in his title triumph over Lewis Hamilton in 2021. Red Bull seemed to have found the perfect driver partnership for them.

The following year was smooth sailing for the duo’s partnership until Verstappen deliberately disobeyed team orders that favored his teammate. This led to rumors of a rift between the pair, damaging the perfect relationship the two had built over the course of their two years at the team racing out of Milton-Keynes. Onto 2023, Perez now desires to be considered an equal challenger for the title.

?Helmut Marko tras la victoria en Bakú

??"Una doble victoria, además de un primer y un tercer puesto en el sprint. Estamos muy contentos, a pesar de que Max tuvo mala suerte con el coche de seguridad y tuvo que jugar con los reglajes hasta el final de la carrera para aprovechar… pic.twitter.com/tHyTLq610h
— Pole Position (@_PolePosition__) May 2, 2023

Max Verstappen has been Red Bull’s number one ever since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo in 2019. He has always been the team’s priority. However, with his two strong victories this season at Jeddah and Baku, Perez has contested Verstappen’s status. He wants to challenge him as an equal without team orders restricting them. He stands only 6 points behind Verstappen and will aim to take the lead at Miami.

This fight between Verstappen and Perez must ensure to maintain the integrity and mutual respect; else, it could very well lead to a repeat of the incident in Baku in 2018, where Ricciardo and Verstappen collided. The battles they wage must be fair, and at the end of the day, they must benefit the team. Red Bull has now allowed them to race uninhibited. Perez could well emerge as Verstappen’s greatest adversary on the track, despite being his teammate.