F1 News: Hemut Marko Warns That Sergio Perez "Could Have Driven Faster"
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has praised Sergio Perez for "tactically" holding back Carlos Sainz's Ferrari at the Bahrain Grand Prix season opener in the fight for P2. Thus, by doing so, the Mexican driver prevented the SF-24 from going after Max Verstappen and helped his team achieve a 1-2 finish.
Key Takeaways:
- Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko commended Sergio Perez for his tactical performance in holding back Carlos Sainz's Ferrari during the Bahrain Grand Prix, contributing to Red Bull's 1-2 finish.
- Despite starting in fifth position, Perez executed a remarkable comeback, overtaking Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell to secure second place.
- Marko praised Perez for his strategic approach, stating there was no need to push the pace, and highlighted the overall positive team result in the race.
Despite starting in fifth position, Perez executed a remarkable comeback by overtaking Carlos Sainz early on, followed by successful passes on Charles Leclerc and George Russell, ultimately securing a second-place finish.
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Marko, who was in the news last season for criticizing Perez, has praised the 34-year-old Red Bull driver for doing the right thing in Bahrain. He told Total-Motorsport.com after the race:
“It wouldn’t have made any sense to push the pace. He had Sainz under control and there was no chance of moving forward.
“Perez therefore did absolutely the right thing tactically and never pushed. To put it another way, he could have driven faster, but there was no reason to. It was an impeccable performance.”
Commenting further on his progress from P5 to P2, Marko added:
“Yeah, I think starting from P5, it's always nice to make good progress.
“There were a lot of battles on track, which around this place, you just go into a very different strategy once that happens. You are sliding a lot more in traffic.
“And I think overall, it's a very good team result. Yeah, it was quite close with the Ferraris, with the Mercs early on. We were fighting with the DRS, obviously, being a lap earlier. It just changes a few things out there.”
Perez, who has been a critic of the hectic 24-race season, embarks on what could be his last year with the Milton Keynes outfit, as his Red Bull contract expires after the conclusion of the 2024 season. It would be too early to say if his team would extend his contract or hire a replacement driver for the next season.