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“Sometimes he is at the level of Max” – Helmut Marko impressed with Red Bull debutant Sergio Perez

Subham Jindal
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"Sometimes he is at the level of Max" - Helmut Marko impressed with Red Bull debutant Sergio Perez

“Sometimes he is at the level of Max” – Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko is impressed with Sergio Perez, but wants him to improve in qualifying.

Sergio Perez has proven to be a significant upgrade on Alexander Albon, putting in credible performances, despite not having great Saturdays. The Mexican is currently in the Top 5 overall and should get his first Red Bull podium soon enough.

This has pleased Helmut Marko, but he did not rule out a different driver to partner Max Verstappen next season. One of the options he suggested is bringing back Pierre Gasly, who currently drives for the sister team AlphaTauri, and is reportedly wanted by Alpine.

“Let’s start with the positive, that’s his performances in the race. They are very good, sometimes he is at the level of Max [Verstappen]. He proved that in Monte Carlo when we opted for the overcut. There were then three or four laps in which he drove the fastest laps of everyone on very old tyres. So the race pace is there.

“The area where he is still short is in qualifying. We need to see an improvement there.

“We don’t think about (2022 season) that until the summer at the earliest. In the driver market, we are a very sought-after partner. I don’t think drivers start negotiations or make a deal with another team until they’ve tried to make a deal with us.

“We are now fully focused on the World Championship and we see no problem as to who will be Max’s team-mate next year. It’s definitely going to be a competitive driver, but we’ve got time.

“If I’m right, Gasly’s contract will continue for another two years.

“It’s a contract that allows us to place him with both Red Bull and AlphaTauri. However, the same applies here – we are not yet thinking about our drivers for 2022. That’s what we do during the summer break and then we make our decisions.”

Read more “I have to fix on Saturdays”– Sergio Perez on his Red Bull struggles

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Subham Jindal

Subham Jindal

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A Red - be it Manchester United or Ferrari. Hails from the hills of Kalimpong, Darjeeling. Aspiring to become a respected Sports Management professional.

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