Marko: Verstappen and Hamilton in a league of their own
Red Bull Formula 1 advisor Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s fight for victory in Bahrain proved they are “in a class of their own”.
Verstappen and Mercedes rival Hamilton were engaged in a race-long battle for the win in F1’s season-opener, which was ultimately settled in the dying moments of the race.
Verstappen caught Hamilton in the final stint and overtook him with four laps to go, but completed the move off-track and was forced to hand back the position.
Hamilton managed to keep Verstappen behind through the remaining laps and secured victory by 0.7 seconds. Third-placed Valtteri Bottas finished a further 37 seconds behind after completing a late pit stop.
The race left the F1 paddock talking up a possible season-long scrap between Verstappen and Hamilton, with Red Bull advisor Marko believing it proved they are in a league of their own compared to the rest of the grid.
“The race clearly showed that the two are in a class of their own,” Marko told Motorsport.com’s sister publication Formel1.de in an exclusive interview. “The thing that Hamilton has over Max is incredible consistency.
“I don't know how many races he has, how many wins. You could see how he did a great job tactically, how he made line changes and so on. It was a very difficult race for Max.
“But again, they are more or less on a par with each other. Max will also be able to draw on a wealth of experience like Hamilton's at some point.”
Verstappen was left disappointed after the race, asking his Red Bull team over the radio upon crossing the line why it did not let him keep the position and accept a time penalty.
Verstappen felt confident he could have built a five-second gap over Hamilton with his fresher tyres to negate the penalty, but Marko believes the stewards would have adjusted the penalty accordingly.
“He caught up so drastically and Hamilton's tyres were at their end,” Marko said. “The only thing is that the five seconds wouldn't have guaranteed a win. We were convinced that the penalty would have been such that Hamilton would have won.
“If he was 5.8 seconds ahead, we would have got 10 seconds. From that point of view, staying ahead would not have helped.”
Related video
Previous article
Ferrari: F1 engine gains may not be known for four more races
Next article
F1 sprint race plan set for green light as teams agree finances
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Lewis Hamilton , Max Verstappen |
| Author | Luke Smith |
Jon Noble on the Bottas-Russell clash
Emilia Romagna race report
How "overwhelming" McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
Daniel Ricciardo has found a new lease of life at McLaren – a move that’s been years in the making, as he explains to STUART CODLING…
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments.
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping .
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is no guarantee.
