Red Bull point finger at Vettel over Verstappen crash

Helmut Marko pointed the finger of blame at Sebastian Vettel for costing Red Bull a British Grand Prix podium by crashing into Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman pulled off arguably the overtake of a thrilling race with plenty more contenders by taking third place from Vettel around the outside of the 180mph Stowe corner.

Vettel desperately tried to cling onto the Red Bull's coattails, looking to an ever-narrowing gap at Vale and then locking up his brakes in trying to bail out, hitting Verstappen's rear-wing and sending both spinning into the gravel, from which they both emerged quite remarkably.

With Valtteri Bottas ahead required to make another stop, the incident potentially cost both drivers a spot on the rostrum and Marko, so often a defender of Vettel even after departing Red Bull, could not back his former charge this time around.

"It seems that Sebastian Vettel made a grave error in calculation," Marko is quoted by Motorsport-Magazin.

"He was braking far too late and that cost us the podium in the British Grand Prix."

Max's view on the 💥 with Seb#BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 pic.twitter.com/XjINoy9xZu

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 14, 2019

After Verstappen's spectacular win in Austria last time out, Red Bull again mixed it with the Scuderia, the Dutchman emerging ahead from another stunning on-track battle with Charles Leclerc.

Although Mercedes remain out of reach, Marko believes his team have almost overtaken Ferrari for second-best on the grid.

"Red Bull was clearly faster than Ferrari," he added.

"Lewis Hamilton was clearly very fast again, but we were never really able to drive laps in free air, so I don't know if we could have been that fast.

"I know, however, that we could have been third and perhaps even second."

Related

F1 Superstars

Incredible statistic puts Verstappen AHEAD of Hamilton record

• Today 13:57

Latest F1 News

Horner reveals 'unhuman' Verstappen secret

• Yesterday 19:58