Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has affirmed that Max Verstappen will be equipped with an updated RB20 for the forthcoming round in Imola following the Dutch driver’s first on-track defeat this season at the Miami Grand Prix.
Marko has also issued a caution to Max Verstappen’s competitors, emphasizing the increased challenge they will face against the three-time F1 champion at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
At the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris achieved a significant milestone by being the first driver to outpace the Dutchman on the track this season.
Norris, benefiting from the timing of a safety car, managed to exploit floor damage to Verstappen’s RB20, securing a victory with a margin of over seven seconds.
Despite Norris’s impressive performance and McLaren’s recent upgrades putting them in contention for race wins, Marko remains unfazed about a potential rivalry between Norris and Verstappen.
He confidently stated in an interview with oe24, “I’m not worried because [Lando] Norris is more than 50 points behind [Max Verstappen].”
With Red Bull poised to deploy its countermeasure at Imola, Marko’s assurance suggests that Verstappen and the team are prepared to tackle any challenges posed by their competitors.
“Besides, we are bringing an upgrade to Imola, which I expect a lot from. But Miami shows that we need to concentrate on the sporting side of things.”
Verstappen encountered car issues stemming from his misjudgment of the Turn 14/15 chicane on lap 21, leading to his Red Bull veering over the run-off area and damaging its floor.
Following the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner noted that this error cost Verstappen over two-tenths of a second per lap through the first corner.
Despite this setback, Marko doesn’t attribute Red Bull’s performance solely to Verstappen’s issues. He believes the team simply lacked pace in Miami, irrespective of any problems Verstappen may have faced.
“We were just too slow,” Marko asserted. “Max doesn’t think it was a major setback. The reality is, we were slower than McLaren.”
Marko emphasizes that the timing of the safety car played a pivotal role in shaping the race outcome. Norris, who had been trailing behind the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez early in the Grand Prix, opted for a prolonged stint.
If the safety car hadn’t been deployed when it was, Norris would have pitted, dropping behind Verstappen and others.
“Norris would have had a hard time closing the gap behind Max, and overtaking in Miami is also very difficult,” Marko remarked.
Marko went on to suggest that Norris’ inaugural victory could mark a turning point for the 24-year-old. “But now it is to be feared that Lando [Norris] will become even more dangerous for him on the track,” he stated. “Because the pressure is off now.”
