Marko admits: We've already given away too many points

Marko admits: We've already given away too many points

Paul Macdonald

Sunday 3 June 2018 10:58

Red Bull supremo Helmut Marko believes that both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo could have been competing for the driver's championship this season, but feels that a series of mistakes have left them too far off the pace and that they have 'given up too many points'.

Ricciardo's win in Monaco last time out was the team's first of a season where incidents involving Verstappen have taken centre stage, most notably in Baku when both drivers collided to put them both out of the race.

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In an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport, Marko was asked about the status of the world championship race, and stated he thinks his top are already too far off the pace.

He said: "We have a great car. It's strong in the corners, when braking, in traction. Our aerodynamics are so good that we have less traffic problems than the others. And our car spares the tires. In qualifying we suffer on the straights. But in the race it is not that bad either.

"That could improve with the upgrade of Renault, it is annoying that we have already given away too many points. We could have won Bahrain with a two-stop strategy and Baku without the crash."

Marko was also asked about Ricciardo's thrilling victory, and when asked how a car with a 25% power loss could still win the race, explained it came as a combination of the style of track, and some great driving.

He added: "First of all with an incredible Daniel Ricciardo in the car. With the help of the engineers, he made up for the failure of the MGU-K, making sure the brakes did not overheat as with [Lewis] Hamilton in 2014 in Montreal, and he drove quickly where it was needed.

"That was a real masterpiece. But you have to say that he needed a good car for that. The Barcelona upgrade was the basis for being so strong in Monte Carlo.

"Had that [power loss] happened to him in Barcelona, he would not have been able to stay ahead. The straight lines are too long for that. I think every achievement stands alone."