Marco: The next races will show where we stand

In an interview, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko commented on the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen’s possible transfer to Mercedes and said he was seriously ill before the Montreal stage.

Question: Mr. Marco, congratulations on Max Verstappen’s victory in Montreal.
Helmut Marko: Thank you! Max won thanks to what I call the Verstappen factor.

Question: Sergio Perez was given a penalty for returning to the pits on the team’s instructions to prevent the safety car from entering the track. Do you think this step is justified?
Helmut Marko: We will not discuss this. The loss of three starting places can be survived. At that time we did not yet know how badly Perez’s car was damaged. From the cameras we saw it was impossible to understand. We wanted Sergio to continue the race because anything was possible in that race.

You never know how much debris will end up on the highway. Other riders rode on a track with many loose parts. Lewis Hamilton once won at Silverstone on three wheels.

Question: After the race in Montreal, Max’s lead in the individual competition increased to 56 points. Now it seems again that nothing can stop his title?
Helmut Marko: Everything is not so simple, since our car and simulator have certain shortcomings. But we do our best to correct them. It was always clear to us that we would not win all the races. It is to our advantage that our opponents lack stability. If everything goes well for us, Max will be in the lead.

Question: Some people think Max would have won in Canada in Lando Norris or George Russell’s car. Do you agree to this?
Helmut Marko: Yes. Only Max kept the race under control and was able to accelerate when necessary. Moreover, the team followed exactly the right strategy.

Q: What are the weaknesses of your simulator?
Helmut Marko: It imitates curbs incorrectly. Technically the simulator is at the forefront, but it was simply set up incorrectly and not interpreted properly.

Q: Some people believe Mercedes now has a car that can win. Have they become rivals for Red Bull?
Helmut Marko: Let’s wait and see. The next three races will provide insight into how good the cars really are.

Last year Mercedes was fast in Barcelona, ​​but not anymore. We will race on two real race tracks in Spielberg and Silverstone, after which we will find out where we stand.

Question: Does the fact that Mercedes is back in form makes it more realistic for Verstappen to join the team?
Helmut Marko: I read that they signed a contract with Kimi Antonelli.

Q: These are rumors for now. Toto Wolff said he wanted to keep the track open as long as possible to explore all options.
Helmut Marko: We are fully focused on winning the championship. We have seen that when distractions arise, you quickly lose the chance to win.

Q: Can you rest before completing the stages?
Helmut Marko: There are a lot of events going on around the Austrian Grand Prix, so I hope the coming weekend will be quiet.

Question: So you can charge the batteries safely?

Helmut Marko: Yes. After Monaco I got very sick: I had Covid-19, I couldn’t even talk. But now I feel good again.