today, 14:12 | by Mark Hanselman
Red Bull Racing team advisor Helmut Marko is looking forward to the qualifying session with confidence, although the difference between Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez seems to be very big in the rain. Marko was disappointed with the Austrian ORF that the team could not complete its full program. Both Red Bull drivers did not take action on the soft tyres.
The rain shower halfway through the session meant that Verstappen and Pérez could be found in the middle bracket. With his eighth place, Verstappen had to tolerate seven drivers on the softest Pirelli rubber, although he still set the fastest time early in the session. Teammate Pérez had a more difficult time and was six tenths short of his teammate on the yellow tires. Pérez will be looking to prove himself in qualifying later today, as he has already missed Q3 four Grands Prix in a row. In the rain, however, the Mexican often has a more difficult time.
After the last training session, Marko was not entirely satisfied with the fact that the Red Bulls could no longer run on the soft tyres. Judging by the on-board radios, it seemed that the Austrian team hadn’t expected rain until later in the session. “We couldn’t complete our program, but at least we were able to do some longer runs,” says Marko.
Verstappen again in a class of its own
The Austrian also takes into account a wet qualifying. “That’s why we went outside to see what it’s like on a wet track. There was still relatively much grip. Max was a second and a half faster than Hamilton and two seconds faster than the rest. That was a demonstration,’ says the 80-year-old racing fanatic. “We are very well prepared for the rain.”
Compatriot Toto Wolff echoed Marko’s words in an interview with ORF: ‘Verstappen was again in a class of his own, even in the rain. But Lewis (Hamilton, ed.) already found out after that.’ The 38-year-old Brit will hope for a good qualifying session in his own country. The race pace of the Mercedes doesn’t look bad, and Hamilton has already won eight times at Silverstone. Should Hamilton win again on Sunday, he will be the first driver with nine Grand Prix victories at one circuit.
Read the article on the mobile website
Not inside
2023-07-08 12:12:00
#Marko #Wolff #agree #Verstappen #league #Maximum