Marko: "We have a Dutch driver who flies, not drives, he flies"
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- GPblog.com
Helmut Marko was allowed to attend the podium ceremony and he knew it. The 78-year old Red Bull Racing advisor says that if it comes to it someone else from the Austrian team will be allowed to go next week. Marko also states that Max Verstappen was uninvited to extend his lead over Lewis Hamilton in the final twenty laps of the Styrian Grand Prix.
In the Post-Race Show, Marko is confronted with the fact that he smells of champagne. "Yeah but I have to say, on the podium, I didn't really have a chance. The drivers were spraying, I couldn't really see anything so it all came over me but it's a nice thing," he laughs.
Marko hopes for even better Red Bull
The man from Graz enjoyed himself immensely and hopes for a similar scenario next weekend. "But then not with me on the podium," jokes Marko. "We controlled the whole race and Max was not forced to go to the limit, we had the tyre degradation better than Mercedes. Next weekend we have softer tyres, so I hope they will suit us better."
It didn't end up being a double podium for Red Bull, as Sergio Perez came half a second short of third place."I have to say that if our pit stop had been at normal speed, we would have been first and third, the maximum. But we are really happy and we thank our boss [Dietrich Mateschitz] who made all this possible. He owns this circuit, he gives us the means to run two Formula One teams and now we have a Dutch driver who flies, not drives, he flies."
Advantage of Verstappen increases
Still, the Austrian had expected more competition from the Mercedes corner Sunday afternoon at the Red Bull Ring. "No, we didn't expect it so easy. I mean in qualifying when we were almost three tenths ahead, we thought 'yes', but normally Mercedes are closer during the race, but this time we could just drive slower. We said to Max, 'You're six seconds ahead, please keep it like that,' but he didn't. I think in the end it was ten seconds or so, but it was so easy and without any risk," Marko is referring to the final stages of the race.