Red Bull Interview with Helmut Marko
06/02/2018
W e would you look at the Monaco GP from Red Bull?
Marko: Good luck, good luck. A real casino.
How do you win a race without electric power?
Marko: First of all with an incredible one Daniel Ricciardo in the car. With the help of the engineers, he made up for the deficiency of the failed MGU-K, made sure that the brakes did not overheat like at Hamilton 2014 in Montreal, and he drove fast where it was necessary. He had to pick up speed in the corners, which of course had to do with the tires. Still, they looked better than Mercedes and Ferrari. That was a real masterpiece. But you also have to say that he needed a good car to do this. The upgrade from Barcelona was the basis that we were so strong in Monte Carlo.
How big was the tremor on the pit wall?
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One of the first well-wishers at the finish - Helmut Marko
Marko: Very big. Almost infinite. We feared every lap that it could be the last. We didn't know what was going on with the MGU-K. If there is a defect, debris can damage the engine. Or the brakes can catch fire. For us it was the biggest shaking game since the Brazilian GP in 2012, when Vettel was turned around by Senna on the starting lap and he then had to drive a damaged car for the rest of the race.
Is it true, that the engineers wanted to get Ricciardo into the pits?
Marko: The first reaction was: turn it off so that nothing more breaks. Then our engineers revised that. We didn't listen to the Renault people. We wanted to continue to bitter or tohappy ending. Luckily. Today we know that the MGU-K itself wasn't broken at all. There was sloppiness during assembly.
Christian Horner compared Ricciardo's performance with that of Michael Schumacher in Barcelona in 1994. A fair comparison?
Marko: I don't like comparisons. The technology used in today's cars is much more complex than it was 20 years ago. Without the help of the technicians it is difficult. The two routes are also not comparable with each other. If that had happened to him in Barcelona, he would not have been able to stay ahead. The straights are too long for that. I think every achievement stands for itself.
Your conclusion after Monaco?
Marko: The 9th place of Verstappen was of course disappointing in retrospect, even if he drove a good race. With a normal starting position that would have been a podium. The double victory should be a sure-fire success with our superiority in Monaco.
What is your advice to Verstappen?
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Is Max Verstappen shifting down a gear?
Marko: He has to back off now . It's not important to be the fastest at every stage. You have to go into depth with Max's psychology. In fact, he was the fastest on Thursday, if not on paper. Ricciardo always drove his fast laps later. Then he got his last shot in the third training session, was 3 tenths below his best time and ran into Sainz. He has to have the rest and break off the round. It's not about anything. But it was probably in the back of the mind that Ricciardo would go out on the track after him and drive faster. Max has to understand that so much risk is not worth it in free practice.
Is Verstappen perhaps surprised at how fast Ricciardo is? Had he already checked him off as an opponent?
Marko: I don't think so. Max knows exactly how strong Daniel is. He performs when it is important and necessary, and with breathtaking perfection. At the beginning of 2017, Daniel was a little weak, but then got up. He understood that Max was the first time there was an opponent who was equal, and he relied on his ownFocused on strengths. Max is a little better in qualifying. Daniel shows unbelievable precision in the race and a sharpness in his overtaking maneuvers from ambush, which actually always works except for Baku.
How do you see the title race?
Marko: We have a great car. It's strong in corners, braking, and traction. Our aerodynamics are so good that we have fewer problems in traffic than the others. And our car is gentle on the tires. We suffer on the straights in qualifying. In the race, however, it's not so blatant anymore. That could improve with the upgrade from 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.
