Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko underestimated the threat posed by the Mercedes drivers to pole-sitter Max Verstappen at the Australian Grand Prix even though both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had outstanding qualifying sessions on Saturday. Russell qualified second while Hamilton qualified third.
Despite the Mercedes’ qualification positions, Marko said that double-world champion Fernando Alonso will be the biggest threat to Verstappen during the Australian GP. However, Marko’s views almost backfired as the Silver Arrows gave Verstappen a run for his money
Helmut Marko’s prediction almost backfired
While speaking to the Austrian television station ServusTV about who he believed will be Max Verstappen‘s biggest threat during the Australian Grand Prix main race, Helmut Marko replied, “I still believe that Alonso will be the stronger one over the race distance. It’s surprising how close Mercedes came”.
Marko told ServusTV: “I still believe that Alonso will be the stronger one over the race distance. It’s surprising how close Mercedes came.”
“I hope that with the tire warm-up, which they did perfectly, they will have a disadvantage in the race with tire wear,” says Marko
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Marko’s bold prediction almost backfired as both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton overtook Verstappen on the opening lap of the Australian Grand Prix. Russell, who led the initial part of the race, eventually retired due to a power unit issue.
With Russell retiring, it was much easier for Verstappen to pass Hamilton as Mercedes could no longer play the team game. However, when it came to Alonso, Hamilton could keep the Spaniard at bay with ease and finish second only to the Dutchman.
Barring the issue that forced Russell to retire, Mercedes undoubtedly had the best Grand Prix weekend of the season so far. Alongside Hamilton’s first podium of the season, they also had their best qualifying of the year.
This is because prior to the Australian GP, Hamilton qualified seventh in Bahrain followed by eighth in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, George Russell qualified sixth in Bahrain and fourth in Saudi Arabia.
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Max Verstappen extends championship lead
After managing to hold on for the win, Max Verstappen (69) extended his championship lead from his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez (54) to 15 points. Considering that the Mexican began the Australian GP from the back of the grid, it could have been much worse for him.
When it comes to the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull find themselves in a world of their own. The Milton Keynes outfit have already scored a whopping 123 points after just three races and are already 58 points clear of second-placed Aston Martin (65).
