Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko explains why Max Verstappen was just shy of competing for the pole position at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. The Austrian had indeed expected the coveted starting position to be within Verstappen’s reach, but the Dutch world champion was unable to drive one last ‘optimal’ lap. ‘There was more potential,’ concludes Marko.
For a brief moment, Max Verstappen held the pole position on the streets of Las Vegas. That was until Lando Norris undercut the Dutchman’s time by a substantial three-tenths. Verstappen had to settle for the second spot on the front row, with which he was quite satisfied. “It was very, very difficult. No, this was not fun. I love racing in the rain, but this felt like ice,” reflected the four-time world champion immediately after the session.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko also responded immediately after the qualification to his star driver’s performance. The Austrian honestly admits that he secretly thought of the pole for Verstappen. “After Q1 and Q2, we actually expected the pole position, but in terms of timing, it didn’t work out,” Marko candidly tells Sky Germany. “We couldn’t drive one last lap, like Lando was able to do. Only then were the conditions optimal and our tires had also cooled down, but in the end, it just didn’t work out. There was more potential.”
Traffic
Marko pointed to the traffic on the track as the main factor that prevented Verstappen from fully exploiting his potential in the crucial final moments of the qualification. “It was mainly about the traffic, which messed everything up,” adds the Austrian advisor. “You need a reasonably free lap, but perhaps we also just went back on the track too early.”
